“I’ve still got lovely pictures at home of my father in the Chelmsford City strip,” he said.
“That was the prime reason for moving from the north, where I was brought up with the family, down here to Chelmsford.”
Sir Geoff, whose iconic goals secured England’s only World Cup win, said being contacted by the new school came as a surprise.
“I didn’t think all those years ago I’d be coming back here 70-odd years later with an academy named after me,” he added.
But he said it was “absolutely vital” that children received the best education they could.
“It’s such an important part of your life. It’s very, very important the quality of schools are suitable for kids,” Sir Geoff said.
