Man. City legend Doyle dead at 64

Former Manchester City captain and England international defender Mike Doyle has died at the age of 64, the club confirmed yesterday.

Doyle, who could also play in midfield, was part of the City team which won the league title, FA Cup, Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup between 1968 and 1970, and skippered the side which won the League Cup again in 1976.

He made over 550 appearances for the Blues before moving on to Stoke, Bolton and then Rochdale, and won five England caps.

Recently he had been receiving treatment for liver failure.

Dennis Tueart, who scored the winning goal for City in the 1976 final, said: “It was a great shock this morning – I didn’t know he was ill.

“Asa Hartford, another one of my colleagues in the 1976 team, texted me to give me the news and it is very sad. Mike was a born winner. He had two periods really as a great player for Manchester City.

“He was one of the younger players in the Joe Mercer-Malcolm Allison era, but when I came in 1974 he then became my captain and there was no question, he was a fantastic leader on the field.”