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Thu 04 Apr 2007Engaging pocket dynamo who never forgot his rootsAlan Ball, who has died aged 61 of a heart attack, was the kid in 1966. Barely 21, red haired, as cheeky as he looked, squeaky of voice, huge of heart, fuelled on desire, he ran those little legs into the ground. All his team-mates said he was man of the match, despite Geoff Hurst's hat-trick.Ball remained the kid - despite everything that happened in the intervening years. Right to the end he was the red-haired pocket dynamo, his voice still unbroken, his enthusiasm undimmed.