Sir Stanley Matthews mural unveiled at stadium

The mural was unveiled before the early kick-off on Saturday

A mural of Blackpool Football Club legend Sir Stanley Matthews has been unveiled at Bloomfield Road.

The club's artist in residence, Rob Purdon, painted the mural as his first major work since his appointment last month.

The club's greatest player and one of England's finest wingers has been immortalised on a concourse wall in the stand named after him.

It was unveiled before the early kick-off on Saturday in the League One match against Reading, in what the club called a "vibrant tribute to one of football's most iconic figures".

The mural, on the entrance to the Matthews Stand, is the first of many projects Mr Purdon has lined up, the club said.

He is planning another mural of Matthews' teammate Stan Mortensen, and one of former England right back Jimmy Armfield, who captained club and country and later worked as a football summariser for BBC 5 Live.

Sir Stanley Matthews was one of football's first global superstars

Mr Purdon told Tangerine TV: "I wanted it to be impactful as the first thing you see when you enter the stand.

"I have been coming here years myself and I have always wanted to put something on the walls."

Sir Stanley played almost 700 games for Stoke City and Blackpool, and gained 54 England caps.

He was the first winner of the Ballon d'Or for the best player in Europe in 1956

He is best-known for his key role in Blackpool's 4-3 over Bolton Wanderers in the 1953 FA Cup Final.

This became know as "the Matthews final", even though his teammate Mortensen became the first man to score a hat trick in an FA Cup Final

During his footballing career, he was also awarded the first European Footballer of the Year Award - the Ballon d'Or - an accolade he received again in 1963.

He retired from the professional game in 1965, aged 50, and died in 2000, aged 85.