Bobby Charlton has been hard at work for England

Sir Bobby Charlton is England's leading goalscorer with 49 goals, and only Peter Shilton and Bobby Moore have won more international caps than Charlton's total of 106.

As a World Cup winner from 1966, Charlton is a legendary figure of the game who ranks in the same echelon as Pele, Maradona, Johan Cruyff and George Best.

But none of these legends can match Sir Geoff Hurst's feat of scoring a hat-trick in a World Cup final.

Alec McGivan is England's campaign director

Indeed Hurst is the only man ever to have done it. His overall record for England reads 24 goals from 49 games.

The FA has also called on one of the BBC's leading lights, Gary Lineker.

The Match of the Day frontman, who was the top scorer at the 1986 World Cup finals, has been enlisted - along with a striker of current vintage, Michael Owen, who burst onto the world stage with his breathtaking goal against Argentina at France 98.

Behind these high profile faces is Alec McGivan, the campaign director, while Tony Banks, formerly Minister for Sport, has been acting as a special envoy for the bid.