Thousands of fans and some of the biggest personalities in sports gave Bobby Charlton a final farewell on Monday, remembering him as a "humble" and "fantastic" man in addition to being one of English soccer's greatest players.
At the age of 86, Charlton was one of United's greatest players ever and an England World Cup champion. He passed away on October 21.
Among the approximately 1,000 invited visitors who attended the private service at Manchester Cathedral were Prince William, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, former United manager Alex Ferguson, former players Andy Cole and Paul Scholes, and England manager Gareth Southgate.
"I knew straight away what a great guy he was... Even on international duty it was about winning. A humble guy, a great family man. It never went to his head," Charlton's former team mate Alex Stepney told the BBC.
Thousands of supporters, some as much as twelve deep in certain spots, braved the windy conditions to cheer Charlton on as he made his final voyage past Old Trafford.
The funeral cortege of Charlton, George Best, and Denis Law stopped in front of the Trinity Statue. In 1968, the three of them became United the first English club to win the European Cup.
Around the foot of the monument, a meticulously arranged assortment of hundreds of bouquets and scarves keeps expanding.
Several current United players were absent from the service owing to international commitments, although Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were among them. Manager Erik ten Hag was unable to attend because of a Dutch engagement.
To accommodate Southgate, Maguire, and other guests, the England team's Monday arrival at St. George's Park training camp was postponed.
"Arguably we are talking about the greatest English footballer we have ever had," former United captain Steve Bruce told Sky Sports. "Then of course, he had class as a man too. So when you have the mixture of the two you can understand why there are going to be thousands of people lining the streets.
"One simple thing he always said (when I joined United), 'It's a great club. Just enjoy it, enjoy the privilege of playing for this great football club.'"
Another former United captain Bryan Robson called it a "sad day for football, for Man United and Sir Bobby's family".
"He was a fantastic player, but not just that, he was a great person," Robson told Sky News.
A personal tribute from Charlton's family was anticipated, along with eulogies and tributes from former United CEO David Gill and former Manchester United Foundation CEO John Shiels.
The FA Cup final tradition of singing "Abide With Me" was to be one of the hymns.
With his brother Jack, Charlton was a vital member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad. In his 758 games for United, he scored 249 goals, won three league championships, the FA Cup, and the European Cup.