Wolves legend Ron Flowers has called Sir Bobby Robson’s death as a “huge loss to football” after the England manager passed away this morning.

Robson has lost his long battle against cancer and his former England room-mate Flowers, who celebrated his 75th birthday on Tuesday and will be at tomorrow’s friendly between his hometown team Doncaster and Wolves, paid his tributes.

He said: “It’s terrible news. It’s a huge loss to football and particularly Newcastle.

“He had a tremendous energy about him and enthusiasm for football. That always came through.

“He was a typical Geordie – a lovely bloke, one of the best and he was always full of fun. He was the centre of the party.

“You couldn’t meet a nicer man in football. I played more games with him than against him for Albion and Fulham – I must have played every England game he played in.

“I roomed with him on lots of occasions and out in Chile in the World Cup. You could tell he was going to stay in the game as a coach or manager – he was cut out for it.

“All he wanted to talk about was football, football and football.

“But he had a good humour about him as well – I could imagine him giving out a right rollicking and then forgetting about it.

“He would never bear grudges – he would rollock someone then put an arm around them the next minute.”

Robson won 20 England caps – pretty much all with Flowers – as well as starring for Albion and Fulham.

The former Wolves captain rated Robson, an inside forward, as a superb player.

He said: “He was an excellent player – there was one particular match at Wembley against Italy where the Brazilian way of playing had become all the rage and he more or less pioneered that Samba football over here.”