Bill Foulkes dies aged 81 a Manchester United legend Former Manchester United defender Bill Foulkes, one of the survivors of the Munich air disaster who went on to win the European Cup in 1968, has died aged 81. United said Foulkes passed away in the early hours of Monday morning. Foulkes made his debut for United in 1952 and went on to play 688 times for the club - a figure only surpassed by Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton and Paul Scholes. Manchester United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward paid tribute to Foulkes, saying: "Bill was a giant character in the post-war history of Manchester United. He was a very gentle man, who I was privileged to meet on several occasions, including most memorably with his team-mates at the Champions League final in Moscow, 50 years after his heroics in the Munich air crash. Bill's contribution over almost 700 games and nearly 20 years will never be forgotten. The thoughts of everyone at the club - directors, players, staff and fans - are with Bill's family.