LEGENDARY England and Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Ted Ditchburn, who was born in Gillingham, has died at the age of 84.

Ditchburn, who grew up in Northfleet, played six times for his country and made 418 appearances for Spurs, including the 1950-51 season when they won the League Championship.

The son of a professional boxer, Ditchburn looked set to follow in his father’s footsteps but opted for football instead. He first played for Spurs in the 1939 to 1940 season, which was terminated when war broke out.

During the Second World War, he served with the RAF, some of the time in Burma.

But he did manage one notable match during the War when he was picked for an international at Wembley in 1944.

Ditchburn’s first real game for England came in 1948 when they played against Switzerland, winning 6-0. But following a 3-1 defeat against Sweden he lost his place on the international side.

Despite that, his success with Tottenham grew, particularly when Alf Ramsay joined the side when the team abandoned the 'long ball forward’ tactic for 'push and run’.

During the first two seasons after the War, Spurs were in the old Second Division, and Ditchburn didn’t miss a single match. He was in goal when the club was promoted to the First Division in 1950, and again when they were League Champions the following year.

In 1956, Ditchburn was recalled to the England team for matches against Wales, Yugoslavia and Denmark.

On leaving Tottenham, he spent six years with the non-league club Romford.

When he retired, he opened a sports shop in Romford. Later he ran a newsagents shop not far from Spurs’ home ground in White Hart Lane. He died on Boxing Day.