Former Liverpool and England striker Roger Hunt has died age 83, the Premier League club has announced. He was part of England's 1966 World Cup-winning side and is Liverpool's record league scorer with 244 goals.

The forward won 34 England caps, scoring 18 international goals after making his debut in 1962 when Liverpool were in English football's second tier.

He played in every game of the 1966 World Cup and scored three times to help England out of their group.

Born in Golborne, Cheshire, Hunt signed for Liverpool in 1958 and made his 404th and final appearance for the club in 1969, by which time fans had christened him 'Sir Roger'. Under legendary manager Bill Shankly he helped the club out of the Second Division in 1962 by scoring 41 goals in as many games.

Liverpool then won the First Division in 1964 and 1966 either side of an FA Cup win in 1965. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "Roger Hunt comes second to no-one in his importance in the history of Liverpool FC, that much is clear."

He added: "To be the goalscoring catalyst of the Shankly team to actually achieve promotion and then go on to win those precious league titles and the FA Cup puts him in a bracket of LFC legends who are responsible for making us the club we are today. Not only that, he was also a World Cup winner in 1966, too.

"I am told the Kop christened him 'Sir Roger' for all his achievements. A goalscorer who never stopped working to help his team-mates; I believe he would have fitted in well within our current team. So, it is Sir Roger we will remember, honour and pay tribute to over the coming days."

In 2000, Hunt joined fellow 1966 heroes Alan Ball, George Cohen, Nobby Stiles and Ray Wilson in receiving the MBE, after a campaign by sections of the media surprised by the lack of recognition for their part in England's biggest day in football. Their six team mates, plus manager Alf Ramsey, had already received gongs of one form or another.

A Liverpool statement said: "We are mourning the passing of legendary former player Roger Hunt. The thoughts of everybody at Liverpool Football Club are with Roger's family and friends at this sad and difficult time."