How good would Duncan Edwards have become?

It is the question sadly nobody could answer.

Was Duncan Edwards destined to become one of the all-time greats of the game before tragically losing his life following the Munich Air Disaster in 1958?

On the 90th anniversary of his birth, it is worth trying to revisit just how highly he was rated, as a powerful, swashbuckling presence among Matt Busby's all-conquering Babes.

The youngest-ever player to appear for England, clearly he was on course to probably be the driving force behind England's bid for World Cup glory, including in the 1966 tournament on home soil. Instead, at the tender age of 21, the injuries he suffered in Germany proved too severe and the world mourned the loss of a stellar sportsman.

Duncan Edwards.

The tributes that poured in following the catastrophic news make interesting reading, particularly in the context of a time when a more stoic attitude was usually taken when dealing with such unbearable tragedy. You can witness this in some of the matter-of-fact reports at the time around the disaster, yet there was such a sense of what was lost when Edwards passed away.

Duncan himself had been described as a "first-rate soldier" after serving as a lance-corporal during his national service and, yes, times were different in the 1950s. However, the outpouring of emotion from those in the game was well covered in the Manchester Evening News.

England manager Walter Winterbottom felt Duncan "had the promise of becoming the greatest of his day". Preston North End boss Cliff Britton predicted he would break Billy Wright's record number of England caps (eventually 105). Tom Finney proclaimed him as one of the best players he had ever played with or against.

Stanley Matthews, someone a young Edwards idolised before breaking into the England team alongside his hero, forecast Duncan would be among the "greatest half-backs the game has ever produced", once he had reached his peak.

Of course, everybody at United knew just how good this "bulldozer with a heart of gold" was. Busby anointed him as the greatest player at his age he had ever seen. Jimmy Murphy felt this "grand lad" was already one of the finest footballers in the world.

If proof was needed how much he was revered prior to February 1958, The Daily Herald ran an extensive profile of the man who had "become the hero of a million people". In it, the newspaper argued: "To thousands of youngsters, he is more than an idol. He is their idol."

For a vivid description of his on-field presence, look no further than this: "The strong neck, shoulders as wide as a barn, legs like young oaks. Shirking nothing, giving everything he's got with the biggest and best of them."

So how do you even attempt to imagine what would have been mapped out for the 21-year-old, had he been given the opportunity to fulfil his potential?

The loss of a key figure ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Sweden was quickly being lamented in the sports press. However, as previously suggested, would it have been this "13-stone genius" instead of Bobby Moore lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy eight years later? Former Three Lions boss Terry Venables is on record as arguing this would have been the case.

Twice a title-winner with the Reds, England's youngest-ever player was already showing his class despite a lack of experience. In December 1957, he was joint-third in the Ballon d'Or voting, alongside Raymond Kopa and only behind Alfredo di Stefano and Billy Wright. Surely evidence he was, as Murphy insisted, already in the equation when it came to recognising the best players on the planet.

The Duncan Edwards stained-glass window in Dudley.

It is obviously impossible to accurately predict just how much Big Dunc would have achieved for club and country, nor to underestimate the sense of sorrow in the wake of the tragedy in Munich. Perhaps it is best to leave it to one of the most famous footballers the world has ever seen, Sir Bobby Charlton, to articulate just how brilliant his friend was.

"I feel terrible trying to explain to people just how good he was," said Sir Bobby. "His death was the biggest single tragedy ever to happen to Manchester United and English football.

"I always felt I could compare well with any player – except Duncan. He didn't have a fault with his game."

More than anything, the loss of a young man whose character and behaviour was acclaimed just as much as his sporting prowess, must be mourned.

Ninety years on from his birth in Dudley, his name will forever be remembered with reverence at Manchester United. And, for those who saw him play, the unanswered questions about what he would have achieved will always remain.