Former Northern Ireland and Everton manager Billy Bingham dies aged 90

Bingham was his nation’s most successful ever manager – leading them to consecutive World Cup tournaments during the 1980s – in a glittering football career which included spells at Sunderland and Everton

Legendary Northern Ireland manager Billy Bingham has died at the age of 90.

Bingham is best known for leading Northern Ireland to the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals, having also played for the team as a midfielder during their only other finals appearance in 1958.

William Laurence Bingham, MBE, was born on August 5 1931 and began his senior football career as a player at Belfast-based club Glentoran over two seasons before joining Sunderland in 1950.

The outside-right made 227 appearances for the Black Cats across eight seasons before moving to Luton Town in 1958, making close to 100 league appearances in a three-year spell.

Bingham went on to make just shy of 100 appearances across three years at Everton – where he won the First Division – before concluding his playing career at Port Vale in 1964 after breaking his leg.

His club career saw him net 134 goals across 527 appearances while he was also synonymous with Northern Ireland, for whom he netted eight goals in 56 senior caps.

After hanging up his boots he was appointed as manager at Southport but would leave in October 1967 to take the reins of the Northern Ireland international team.

Bingham found that the job was not taxing enough but he stayed on in the role while taking up the managerial position at Plymouth Argyle and then Linfield, Northern Ireland’s biggest club.

He guided the Blues to four trophies in his one campaign at the helm of the South Belfast side, including the league title, before walking away from both the club and his international role.

In 1971, he was appointed as the head coach of the Greece national side. Two years later he returned to the domestic game with Everton – where he stayed for four years.

Bingham returned to Greece for a brief spell in 1977, taking the reins at club side PAOK. The following year he went back to England to take charge of Mansfield Town for one full season.

In 1980, he was re-appointed as Northern Ireland manager, his final position and by far his most notable – as he would stay in the role for 13 years.

The experienced boss led his nation to the finals of the FIFA World Cup in 1982 and 1986, and in his post-managerial career, he served Blackpool as director of football before doing scouting work for Burnley.

Bingham was made an MBE for services to football in 1981 and the Professional Footballers’ Association made him the recipient of their annual Merit Award in 1994 for “outstanding contribution” to the game. He also received FIFA’s “Centennial Order of Merit” in 2004, to mark 100 years since the founding of the world governing body of football.

Glentoran, where he started his playing career, tweeted: “Everyone at Glentoran is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Billy Bingham. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the club go out to Billy’s family and friends at this time.”

A statement from Everton added: “Everton Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Billy Bingham MBE. A championship winner as a player with the Club and manager at Goodison Park for nearly four years, Billy passed away peacefully on Thursday, at the age of 90. The thoughts of everybody at Everton Football Club are with Billy’s family and friends.”