John " Jackie " Blanchflower ( 7 March 1933 – 2 September 1998 ) was a Northern Irish footballer . He graduated from Manchester United 's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions , winning two league titles , before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster . He was also capped 12 times at senior level by Northern Ireland
Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
Jackie Blanchflower