Chelsea legend and former England goalkeeper Peter Bonetti has died at the age of 78 following a long illness, the club confirmed on Sunday.

Nicknamed 'The Cat' by Blues team-mate Ron Tindall due to his quick reflexes, the innovative Bonetti made 729 appearances for Chelsea across two spells and was also part of the England squad that won the World Cup on home soil in 1966.

He eventually collected a World Cup winners' medal at a ceremony held by Gordon Brown in Downing Street in 2009 alongside the other non-playing members of Sir Alf Ramsey's squad, including Jimmy Greaves, Jimmy Armfield and Norman Hunter.

Bonetti - who earned seven senior England caps in total - also represented Dundee United and Woking during his playing career and had a stint in the United States with the NASL's St. Louis Stars before retiring and becoming a goalkeeping coach.

"Chelsea Football Club is hugely saddened to announce the passing today of one of our indisputably all-time great players, Peter Bonetti," Chelsea said in a statement.

"Our former goalkeeper had been suffering from long-term illness. All at Chelsea wish to send our heartfelt and deepest condolences to Peter’s family and friends."

Only Ron "Chopper" Harris has played more times for Chelsea than Putney-born Bonetti, who made his debut for the club in 1960 aged 18.

After helping the Blues to win the FA Youth Cup that summer, he lifted the League Cup in 1964-65 after a two-legged victory over Leicester City and later the FA Cup in 1969-70, when Chelsea beat Leeds United in a famous replay at Old Trafford.

Bonetti had been injured early on, but persevered to help Dave Sexton's side claim a hard-fought 2-1 victory after an initial 2-2 draw at Wembley.

In 1971, he was key once again as Chelsea lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup with another replay win over Real Madrid in Piraeus, Greece.

Bonetti was also part of two teams that won promotion to the old First Division in 1962-63 and 1976-77, with his record of 208 clean sheets for Chelsea standing until 2014, when it was finally broken by Petr Cech.

"Peter Bonetti’s position in the pantheon of Chelsea footballing gods is unassailable," the club added.

"He was the Cat who broke the mould, defied the odds, drew the gasps, earned the cheers and got the cream. All in front of an adoring Stamford Bridge."

Bonetti left Chelsea and moved to the USA in 1975, but quickly signed for Chelsea again one year later.

He was part of the England squad that won the World Cup in 1966, but - along with Ron Springett - did not make an appearance at the tournament, with Gordon Banks then firmly established as the Three Lions' first-choice goalkeeper.

He was seen by many as a scapegoat for England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to West Germany in 1970, when he was drafted into the starting XI as a very late replacement for the ill Banks.

England led 2-0 in Leon, Mexico before eventually losing 3-2 in extra-time.

After hanging up his boots, Bonetti, who also had a spell as a postman on the Island of Mull off the west coast of Scotland, served as goalkeeping coach at several clubs including Chelsea, Newcastle, Fulham and Manchester City as well as with England.