Moore statue unveiled at new Wembley Stadium

With his proud pose and foot gently resting on a ball the former England captain looked every inch the footballing hero.

Moore's 1966 teammate Sir Bobby Charlton unveiled the 18ft bronze statue, which stands directly in front of the entrance to the stadium.

He said: "Bobby Moore was a very good friend and one of the best footballers the world has seen.

"To have a team you have to have a good leader, otherwise you will never win. In 1966 England had that leader in Bobby, he had the respect of all the players.

"Had it not been for Bobby we probably wouldn't have won the World Cup."

The unveiling was also attended by footballing greats from the England 1966 World Cup team - Martin Peter, George Cohen, and Sir Geoff Hurst, as well as Helmut Haller from the Germany team they beat in the final.

The two ton statue stands on a stone plinth made partly from the old stadium's twin towers.

It was commissioned after a poll by the Football Association to find England's greatest player of all time.

Moore's widow, Stephanie, was involved in the process of commissioning the statue. She said she was touched by the likeness of the statue to her late husband.

She said: "When you are married to a man as great as Bobby, you quickly learn you have to share him with the world. Today I am honoured to share this wonderful image of Bobby with you.

"Bobby does look majestic here as he did when commanding a football field, in public or in private.

"I am certain that Bobby would have been honoured to be remembered here, at this place that he loved so much."

Moore, who played most famously for West Ham as well as England died of cancer in 1993, at the age of 51.

He went to Wembley to comment on a game just a few days before his death. Mrs Moore said her husband never forgot his East End working class roots and always kept a 'common touch'.

"Bobby was of the people, a hero to the people and an ambassador for the people," said Mrs Moore.

"Tragically Bobby died too young - still so handsome, so much to live for and so much to give."

The statue was made by sculptor Phillip Jackson, who made the Sir Matt Busby statue at Old Trafford and is currently working on one of the Queen Mother.

He started work on it in August 2005 and sculpted it in just 33 weeks, so it was ready for the FA Cup final in May 2006, which was to be held at the new Wembley stadium.

But because of the delays in building the venue the statue has been in storage for a year.

It was finally moved to Wembley earlier this week, ready for the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United next weekend.

The unveiling ceremony yesterday was also attended by outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair, the actor Ray Winstone, footballer David Seaman, England manager Steve McClaren, FA chief executive Brian Barwick and Sir Trevor Brooking.

Mr Blair made reference to his resignation on Thursday, as he thanked those who had worked on the stadium.

He said: "I would like to congratulate everybody who has been involved in the new Wembley stadium, and for obvious reasons I might not get another chance to say it so I will say it now.

"I know at times it may have seemed a bit of a wait, but it is absolutely superb and it is going to be a great landmark for London and the country."

Paying tribute to Moore, Mr Blair said: "If you want a role model in public life, Bobby Moore is a pretty good one to take. He was a true gentleman."