High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers` Association Footballer of the Year awards. Matthews` nicknames included The Wizard of the Dribble and The Magician.