Football: Former Chelsea and England goalkeeper Peter Bonetti dies aged 78

Former Chelsea player Peter Bonetti has died. Photo / Getty

Legendary Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Bonetti has died aged 78 after a battle with long-term illness.

Bonetti made 729 appearances for Chelsea over the course of two spells at the club and kept 208 clean sheets.

Nicknamed "The Cat" due to his superb reflexes, Bonetti was second in the club's list of all-time appearances behind Ron Harris.

Bonetti helped Chelsea win promotion from the Second Division in 1963 and 1977. He also played in the sides that won the League Cup in 1965, the FA Cup in 1970 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1971, the last with victory against Real Madrid in the final.

In a statement, Chelsea said: "Peter Bonetti's position in the pantheon of Chelsea footballing gods is unassailable. He was the Cat who broke the mould, defied the odds, drew the gasps, earned the cheers and got the cream. All in front of an adoring Stamford Bridge."

Bonetti earned seven caps for England, conceding one goal in his first six, with much of his international career spent as back-up to Gordon Banks.

He was a member of Alf Ramsey's 1966 World Cup-winning squad but did not feature for the hosts, instead, waiting until 1970 to make a World Cup appearance.

His debut came when Banks fell ill just before the quarter-final with West Germany. With not much more than an hour to prepare, Bonetti was at fault for Germany's first two goals as England threw away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2. He never played for England again.

Despite a difficult international career, Bonetti stuck with Chelsea well into his 30s before seeing out his career with Dundee United.

Bonetti later retired to run a guesthouse on the Isle of Mull and work as a postman before eventually returning to the game as a specialist goalkeeping coach.