Carlisle football legend Peter Thompson - a star for Liverpool and England - has died aged 76.

Thompson, from Harraby, died suddenly at the weekend, it has been reported.

Tributes are being paid to the former winger, who was a key part of Bill Shankly's great Anfield side in the 1960s and 70s.

Regarded as one of the best footballers ever to come from Carlisle, he also played for Preston and Bolton.

Liverpool today said they were "deeply saddened" by the news.

Thompson, once an apprentice toolmaker, was regarded as one of the finest schoolboy stars of his generation.

He started at Preston where he made his first-team debut at 17 before being snapped up by former United boss Shankly at Liverpool in 1963.

There, his outstanding wing play helped the Merseyside giants to two league titles and their first ever FA Cup in 1965.

He made 416 first-team appearances for Liverpool, scoring 54 goals, and is regarded as an all-time Anfield great.

He also won 16 caps for England, named in the provisional squad for the 1966 World Cup.

He was one of six players to be left out at the final stage, and was also named in the provisional squad for Mexico 1970.

After a knee injury affected his latter years at Liverpool, he then joined Bolton and helped them to Division Two promotion before retiring in 1978.

After football, he spent several years running a caravan park before buying hotels in the Lake District and Harrogate areas.

Shankly once compared Thompson to the country's finest ever players.

"I have no hesitation in placing Peter up among the all-time greats – alongside such players as Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews and George Best," Shankly said.

The great manager added: "His work rate was outstanding, his fitness unequalled, his balance like a ballet dancer.

"They say he didn’t score enough goals, they said his final pass wasn’t telling enough. Well, if he had scored goals as well as everything else he did, he would have been in the same category as Jesus Christ!"

Thompson once told The Independent about his style of play.

"I was obsessed with getting to the byline and crossing," he said.

"It's probably why I was never interested in coaching. All this 'give and go' stuff meant nothing to me. Alf Ramsey used to tell me, 'Play your natural game, but don't hold the ball]' What could I say?'"

Liverpool legend Ian Callaghan today told the Liverpool Echo he was "devastated" by his fellow winger and former team-mate's passing.

"It's such sad news," he said.

"Peter was such a fantastic player and a big part of the club's success in that era.

"He had a real gift for dribbling with the ball and holding on to it. Peter was a really special player, he really was."