Preston North End legend Sir Tom Finney is remembered on the eighth anniversary of his passing

The Preston North End and England legend died on February 14, 2014, at the age of 91.

His name lives on in Preston and throughout the world, with Sir Tom arguably the best player of his generation.

He was a one-club man in his playing career, joining PNE as a schoolboy and making his first-team debut in 1946 after serving his country in the Second World War.

Sir Tom played 433 times for the Lilywhites in the league, scoring 187 goals.

A further 40 appearances came in the FA Cup, with him finding the net 23 times.

He was in the North End team which reached the 1954 FA Cup final, a game they lost 3-2 against West Bromwich Albion.

On the international stage the winger was capped 76 times by England. In an England shirt, Sir Tom scored 30 goals.

Fans flocked to Deepdale to watch him in action, with him a star attraction at other grounds when Preston played away.

If ever Sir Tom was injured, North End would delay reading the team until as late as possible before kick-off so that supporters were not put off coming into the ground!

He made his name as a winger, although in a PNE shirt he played in all the forward positions over the course of his career.

Sir Tom had the honour of twice being named Football of the Year, that bestowed on him in 1954 and 1957.

His last game for North End came against Luton Town at Deepdale in April 1960, Sir Tom deciding to hang up his boots at the age of 39 after carrying a persistent injury.

He had still played 43 games that season, Deepdala packed for that farewell.

Sir Tom continued his involvement wit PNE after retiring from playing, becoming the club's president.

He ran a successful plumbing business in Preston, a trade he had learned as an apprentice while on the PNE groundstaff.

Sir Tom would have been 100 this April.

North End play Blackpool at Deepdale on Tuesday, April 5, the great man's birthday.