BUDAPEST (Reuters):

Hungarian soccer great Ferenc Puskas, the best player of his generation and talismanic member of the nation's 'Golden Team' of the 1950s, died in hospital yesterday aged 79 after a long illness.

Puskas, who was known as 'Little Brother' in Hungary, 'The Galloping Major' in England and the 'Booming Cannon' by Real Madrid fans, died at 7:00 a.m. (0600 GMT), his biographer Gyorgy Szollosi told Reuters.

"The exact cause of death was cardiovascular and respiratory failure triggered by pneumonia," Szollosi said.

His funeral will be held on December 9, the international committee organising the ceremony said in a statement.

In the evening friends, former nationals and Hungarian citizens remembered Puskas with candles and flowers at a photo of him outside the building of the Football Association. The Government declared December 9 a day of national mourning.

Puskas' family appealed in a statement for dignified mourning and Parliament held a one-minute silence yesterday.