The right winger from Kaiserslautern was the youngest member of captain Fritz Walter's team, which came back to win the final 3-2 against big favourites Hungary in what became known as the "Miracle of Bern".

Eckel was nicknamed "The Greyhound" because of his pace.

Together with Fritz and Ottmar Walter, as well as Werner Liebrich and Werner Kohlmeyer, he formed the Kaiserslautern block in the national team and played a total of 32 international matches.

"At the final whistle, we knew we were world champions. But we didn't realise what that meant to the people back home until we stepped on German soil again. It was a great reception," Eckel once recalled.

Nine years after the end of World War II, the victory helped signal the nation's political and economic awakening.

Hundreds of thousands lined the streets as the world champions returned home in triumph.

When all the 1954 world champions were still alive, Eckel was sometimes overshadowed by big names Helmut Rahn, Toni Turek and above all Walter.

After the death of Hans Schaefer on November 7, 2017, however, only the down-to-earth and reserved Eckel remained to represent the team at every opportunity.

The twice German champion (1951 and 1953) changed clubs only once: from Kaiserslautern to SV Roechling Voelklingen in Saarland in 1960.

After his time as a player, the trained toolmaker studied art and sports and worked as a secondary school teacher from 1973.

Being called a "hero of Bern" had always bothered him.

"I remained a completely normal person," he said.

Australian Associated Press