Forever in our hearts: Star player confirmed dead.

Ron Baynham, a former goalkeeper for Luton who was thought to be the oldest active England international football player, passed away at the age of 94.

Born in Birmingham, Baynham made 434 appearances for the Hatters and was awarded three caps for England, his debut coming in a 1955 5-1 triumph against Denmark.

On Monday night, Luton issued a statement acknowledging the passing of their former first-choice keeper. The keeper joined the Hatters for £1,000 in 1951 after leaving Worcester City.

“The sad news of Ron Baynham’s passing at the age of 94 has reached Kenilworth Road,” the message stated.

“At the time of his passing, Ron was England’s oldest living international in addition to having played 434 goals for the Hatters.

A tall, powerful, and athletic goalkeeper was there to cap off their efforts. For most Luton supporters of a certain age, memories of Kenilworth Road in the 1950s evoke images of players like Stanley Matthews, Nat Lofthouse, and Tom Finney bearing down on the Luton goal.

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“Ron Baynham was the goalkeeper whose name was on everyone’s lips as he formed the last line of defence behind an accomplished side that more than held its own in the top-flight of English football.”

Although the Hatters lost 2-1 to Nottingham Forest in the 1959 FA Cup final, Baynham, who had originally wanted to play cricket, felt that the experience still ranked higher than playing for England.

He was quoted on the Luton website as saying: “Wembley was my choice for the Cup Final, even though our loss to Nottingham Forest was the biggest disappointment of my career. Both were incredible highlights.”

“Unfortunately, the team I knew did not play like that day.