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Wales legend Charles dies
by Alex Livie
Wales and Leeds United legend John Charles has died at the age of 72.
The former Juventus centre forward passed away following a long battle against illness.
Charles was admitted to hospital in January after feeling unwell prior to a scheduled appearance on Italian television.
He was taken to Milan's San Carlo hospital where he needed an emergency two-hour operation on his heart, after suffering a burst blood vessel in his leg.
A private jet owned by Juventus brought Charles back to England, where he was transferred to Wakefield's Pinderfields hospital.
Charles, who also played for Swansea, Roma and Cardiff, scored 93 goals in 155 matches for Juventus and achieved the notable feat of never being booked or sent off throughout his career.
He was equally at home operating in the centre of defence, but found fame with his prowess in front of goal.
Awarded the CBE in 2001, he won 38 caps for Wales and scored 15 goals.
The sad news will hit all football fans hard, due to Charles being so revered throughout the world.
FAW secretary general David Collins was glowing in his tribute of Charles.
"We would like to convey our deepest sympathies to the family and Mrs Charles," Collins told Sky Sports News. "He was one of our greatest players and will be a great loss. John was one of the greatest of all Welsh players, if not one of the world's great players. His career over many years will be remembered with great fondness by many, many people. I met him only a few weeks back and could well remember as a teenager seeing John play at the World Cup in 1958. It is a sad day for all of Wales and those who were fortunate enough to see him. He was a huge man, but a gentle giant was a very apt name for him. To have witnessed him play was a tremendous honour."
Charles was a hero in Italy, and Collins added: "I remember a few years ago Wales were playing in Bologna and everybody who was there was coming up to us saying `How's John?' It was incredible, here we were some decades later and the Italian fans still remembered this great man."
Wales legend Charles dies
by Alex Livie
Wales and Leeds United legend John Charles has died at the age of 72.
The former Juventus centre forward passed away following a long battle against illness.
Charles was admitted to hospital in January after feeling unwell prior to a scheduled appearance on Italian television.
He was taken to Milan's San Carlo hospital where he needed an emergency two-hour operation on his heart, after suffering a burst blood vessel in his leg.
A private jet owned by Juventus brought Charles back to England, where he was transferred to Wakefield's Pinderfields hospital.
Charles, who also played for Swansea, Roma and Cardiff, scored 93 goals in 155 matches for Juventus and achieved the notable feat of never being booked or sent off throughout his career.
He was equally at home operating in the centre of defence, but found fame with his prowess in front of goal.
Awarded the CBE in 2001, he won 38 caps for Wales and scored 15 goals.
The sad news will hit all football fans hard, due to Charles being so revered throughout the world.
FAW secretary general David Collins was glowing in his tribute of Charles.
"We would like to convey our deepest sympathies to the family and Mrs Charles," Collins told Sky Sports News. "He was one of our greatest players and will be a great loss. John was one of the greatest of all Welsh players, if not one of the world's great players. His career over many years will be remembered with great fondness by many, many people. I met him only a few weeks back and could well remember as a teenager seeing John play at the World Cup in 1958. It is a sad day for all of Wales and those who were fortunate enough to see him. He was a huge man, but a gentle giant was a very apt name for him. To have witnessed him play was a tremendous honour."
Charles was a hero in Italy, and Collins added: "I remember a few years ago Wales were playing in Bologna and everybody who was there was coming up to us saying `How's John?' It was incredible, here we were some decades later and the Italian fans still remembered this great man."