When a young Northumberland lad and son of a miner decided at an early age that making a living playing football would be more enjoyable than a life in the pits, he made a very smart decision.
But little did anyone know that this gangling young man would go on to become a footballing hero in both England and Ireland.
That's why people in two countries are mourning the passing away of Jack Charlton.
His death last Saturday, at 85, came just a few weeks before the 54th anniversary of England's dramatic victory over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup at Wembley.
Although it was Charlton's "kid" brother Bobby who tended to grab the headlines with his stunning goals, Jack was a crucial player in the England set-up and his defensive partnership with the stylish captain Bobby Moore played a key role in England's success.
The tall centre-half, who spent his entire career at Leeds United where he earned the nicknames "Giraffe" and "Big Jack," is the sixth member of the World Cup team to have now passed away.
He followed Moore (1993), Alan Ball (2007), Ray Wilson (2018), Gordon Banks and Martin Peters (both 2019).
Thankfully still with us are brother Bobby, now 81, George Cohen, Nobby Stiles, Geoff Hurst and Roger Hunt.
There were no substitutes in those days and other members of England's 22-man squad who played in the group stage, but not the final, were Jimmy Greaves, John Connelly, Terry Paine and Ian Callaghan.
Charlton, who often seemed more interested in fishing than football, always played down his football skills but showed enough for Leeds to sign him up in 1952. He made his debut in April 1953 but his early career was interrupted by a two-year stint in the national service.
He became a regular for Leeds in 1955 and wasn't shy in voicing an opinion, which did not endear him to everybody.
Johnny Giles, who was a teammate in the 1960s, observed: "Jack wasn't always right, but was never wrong."
The big man's career really took off when Don Revie became Leeds manager in 1961.
Revie liked the physical presence of Charlton and it wasn't long before Leeds developed a reputation for their aggressive style, some calling it "dirty."
Charlton inevitably made a few enemies on the pitch and got into trouble when he said in a television interview: "I've got a little black book with players' names in it. If I get a chance to do them, I will."
One of those names was rumoured to be Dennis Law. Big Jack later remarked: "Soccer is a man's game, not an outing for namby-pambies."
Charlton went on to make 773 competitive appearances for Leeds and was a permanent fixture until 1973.
For a defender Charlton also had a hugely impressive goal-scoring record with more than 90 goals, many close-range headers.
It was not until 1965 that Charlton at the age of 30, made the first of 35 appearances for England.
By the following year, he had established himself as the first-choice centre-back along with captain Moore.
The victory at Wembley in the 1966 World Cup final was a big day in the Charlton household.
At the final whistle Bobby hugged Jack and said "nobody can take away this moment from us."
Sadly, later in life Jack and Bobby had a family dispute and drifted apart. Jack confirmed later that "we just don't get on."
After his retirement in 1973, Jack had a terrific start in management, winning promotion for Middlesbrough from the old Division Two.
He then went on to manage Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle.
But his biggest success as a gaffer came from a most unexpected quarter, taking over the helm of the Republic of Ireland in 1986.
He took them to the 1988 Euro Championship where they beat old foes England, which went down very well in the Emerald Isle.
Then came the 1990 World Cup where they reached the quarter-finals.
In 1994, they were in the World Cup again and caused a huge upset by beating Italy in the group stage.
For his efforts, Charlton was awarded the "freedom of Dublin" by an appreciative Irish nation.
His motivational skills were such that one of his players, Mick McCarthy commented: "I would have run through that door for him. I still would and he knows that."
Jack admitted that throughout his career he did have to struggle with his temper.
In a 1973 interview, he commented: "I'm very placid most of the time, but I blow up very quickly. I shout and wave my arms and my lip twitches and I swear, all at the same time."
However, he always retained a sense of humour. When asked what he regarded was his biggest honour, he commented: "When the House of Commons voted me Beer Drinker of the Year."