2. Alf Ramsey
For Saints: The man who would become the only person to lead England to a major tournament victory began his playing career during the Second World War, so the talented right back got his start playing for his regimental team. Towards the end of the war he started playing more regular football and was picked up by Southampton in 1943 when he was 23. Ramsey was given his first professional contract a year later. When regular league football began again in 1946 Ramsey was a consistent performer for Southampton in the Second Division, playing 90 times for Saints before his 1949 move to ambitious fellow Division 2 club Tottenham. While still playing for Saints he was called up for England for the first time, beginning an association that would end in World Cup glory. After Saints: The Tottenham team featuring Ramsey were promoted and won the First Division title at the first time of asking in 1951. Ramsey retired from playing at the age of 35 in 1955 and took over the managerial post at Third Division South club Ipswich Town. In his second season Ramsey guided Ipswich to promotion to the Second Division and, in 1961, took them into the top flight for the first time. The following year he shocked many by guiding Ipswich to the league title. For England Ramsey had racked up 31 more caps, including 3 as captain, since making his debut as a Saints player. His final appearance came in the infamous 6-3 defeat to Hungary in 1953 in which Ramsey scored from the penalty spot. That game showed that England needed to change and develop to keep up with the best in international football and that change would occur ten years later when Ramsey left Ipswich to replace Walter Winterbottom as England manager. Under Ramsey England enjoyed their greatest ever moment when his "Wingless Wonders" triumphed on home soil to win the 1966 World Cup. Ramsey was knighted in 1967, the only former Saints player with a knighthood.