Arguably the greatest Welsh footballer of all time, John Charles excelled equally in the heart of defence and leading the line.
One of the earliest British players to play abroad, the ‘Gentle Giant’ joined Juventus from Leeds for a British-record £65,000 in August 1957.
He went on to amass 105 goals in 179 appearances for the Bianconeri, finishing as Serie A top scorer in his debut season and winning three Scudetti – plus two Coppa Italia crowns.
Nominated for the 1959 Ballon d’Or – placing third behind Real Madrid duo Alfredo Di Stefano and Raymond Kopa – Charles returned to Leeds in 1962, only to head back to Italy within a matter of months to join Roma.
