Jimmy Armfield retired from football in 1971

Jimmy Armfield, 69, who lives in Blackpool, took up the honorary year-long post at a special ceremony at County Hall in Preston on Monday.

Mr Armfield, a freeman of Blackpool, was awarded the OBE in the Millennium honours list and made a Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire in 2004.

Born in Manchester, Mr Armfield began his Blackpool FC career in 1952.

Radio pundit

He was a one-club player who retired from the game in 1971.

Mr Armfield, who is married with two sons, captained club and country and was a member of the 1966 World Cup winning squad.

He managed Bolton Wanderers and took Leeds United to the 1975 European Cup Final before focusing on a career in sports journalism. He is a regular pundit on BBC's Five Live.

Mr Armfield said: "It is a great honour to have been chosen by the Queen to be High Sheriff of Lancashire.

"I intend to uphold undiminished the traditions and responsibilities of this ancient office which have been part of our history for a thousand years."

The role of High Sheriff is mainly ceremonial, although the official duty is "to represent the Queen's executive powers in respect of the administration of justice in the county".