TalkSPORT will cherish Ray Wilkins’ memories of Manchester United and Chelsea legends Ray Wilkins for a long time.
A man, a father and friend to many. He still means a lot to everyone.
And still, four years on from his sad passing, we’re finding out about his many acts of incredible generosity.
In 2018, he died. TalkSPORT was told by an ex-soldierAbout how Wilkins’ incredible encounter with him while he was homeless helped him get his life back on track.
He was a true man of character, with his kindness, humble outlook, and amazing ability to make friends from everyone he met.
And former Eastenders actor Michael Greco, one pal he picked up along the way, has revealed another tale to add to the list about Wilkins’ charity.
He told Jonny Owen and Friends: “One of the nicest blokes I’ve ever met and because he was a hero of mine growing up, to actually meet him and become friends with him was incredible.
“I used to live near Stamford Bridge and we were playing Barcelona in the Champions Legaue and we drew 1-1It was the first goal that Lionel Messi had scored in a match against us.
“Anyway, I didn’t have a ticket and Ray said come down to the bar and we’ll watch it in the bar.
“So I went down to the bar in Chelsea and he comes up to me and goes, ‘have my ticket’. I was like, ‘no, no, no, I’m not having your ticket’.
“He goes, ‘look, you have my ticket, I’m here all the time, you have my ticket and I’ll watch it on the TV here’.
“So I went into the ground and had Ray Wilkins’ ticket and two weeks later he passed away.
“When I heard, I burst into tears, not only because he was such an amazing person but because of those stories. You could see how amazing he was from all the stories.
“You know what I loved about him? It was almost like George Michael’s passing. You learned all about the incredible things he did for charity, but it was anonymous.
“For me, I love that. When people do things and they don’t tell people that they are doing that or put it on social media, or have to brag about doing something incredible, and they do it anonymously. That, for me, is heart-wrenching.”
