A special cake celebrating a former England football captain’s 80th birthday has been presented to him by a regional daily.

The Gazette, Blackpool, marked Jimmy Armfield’s birthday with the gesture, as well as dedicating yesterday’s front page in tribute to the star, pictured below, who also worked as a journalist at the newspaper.

Jimmy played around 600 games for Blackpool FC and won 43 caps for England, for whom he played n the 1962 World Cup in Chile.

After hanging up his boots, he went on to manage Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United, leading the latter to the European Cup Final in 1975.

He also spent nine years at The Gazette, writing about sport on a part-time basis.

The cake was commissioned by The Gazette and produced by a local baker for the occasion.

Football writer Will Watt said: “There’s nobody more in Blackpool that deserves it.

“Whatever we did for him probably isn’t enough.

“As a contact he’s great. I can pick up the phone, dial his number and he always answers.

“He’ll ring up and just talk to you about football which, as a sports journalist, is a really privileged position to be in for me.

“Every time he talks to me I just learn something, he’s fascinating.”

Jimmy, who lives in Blackpool and still occasionally works as a match summariser for BBC Radio Five Live, has also supported numerous Gazette campaigns over the years.

He currently serves as chairman of the Lancashire Partnership against Crime, president of Age UK Blackpool and president of the town’s Trinity Hospice.

Jimmy has also been instrumental in fundraising for several charities after surviving a cancer scare several years ago.

Will added: “He’s done so much for the newspaper and the town.

“He’s sadly also our go-to man when anyone passes away because of his knowledge of both footballers and Blackpool.

“He couldn’t be more helpful and he has a great relationship with The Gazette.”