Serie A has been one of the biggest and best leagues in the world for some time now. It has giants of the footballing world such as AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus, and has seen some of the best footballers ever.
The likes of Diego Maradona, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Marco Van Basten, Michel Platini, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Paolo Maldini have played in Italy's top division, and they are just a handful of the great players. None of them would look out of place in a list of the top ten players ever.
Yet, in a vote to determine the greatest player to ever play in Serie A, none of these players won. Nor did Paolo Rossi, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Roberto Baggio, Dennis Bergkamp, or Lothar Matthaus. All the men on this all-star list would outdone by one man from Wales: John Charles.
Between 1957 and 1962, Charles played for Juventus, and was considered the most valuable footballer of his era, in a time where Pele was starting to make headlines.
It wasn't just his skill that made him such a superstar, it was his versatility. Whether he played in defence or up-front, you knew you were in for a tough game if you were against him.
Both Denis Law and Tom Finney, great players in their own right, rated John Charles as the best centre-back in Europe. He was, however, a striker primarily. Law went on to say he was also in the top three centre-forwards he had ever seen.
Charles joined Juventus for a then British record transfer fee of £65,000 in 1957. This came after he had scored 150 goals in 297 games for Leeds, a ratio better than one every other game, despite playing regularly in centre-back. In fact, he played solely at centre-back for the first couple of season as a Leeds United player.
In the 1953-54 season, Charles scored a phenomenal 42 goals, proving he was equally as effective at the other end of the field.
Once he joined Juventus, he didn't take long to get settled in. Twenty-eight goals in 34 games during his first season helped Juventus win the league title, and was also enough for him to capture the golden boot.
He helped Juve to another two league titles, and two Italian Cup successes before his departure four years later. He scored 93 goals in 150 games for Juventus, and cemented himself in Italian football folklore. He is still considered a God in Turin.
After a second spell at Leeds, followed by a return to Italy with Roma, and then a spell at Cardiff, Charles retired from football.
His versatility and quality made fans love him, but his sportsmanship made rival fans respect and admire him. Throughout his entire playing career, for club and country, John Charles was never sent-off, or even given a yellow card, a feat even more amazing considering he lived in the age when strong challenges were part and parcel of the game.
Charles could certainly deal with the physical side of the game, but he always did it fairly. He never used extra leverage when jumping, yet heading was perhaps the most impressive part of his game. At six foot two inches, he was nicknamed "The Gentle Giant."
Many people who saw him play maintain that he was one of the best all-round players ever. He was able to play at a world-class standard in different positions, comfortable with both feet, he had a great first touch, and possessed stamina and strength in abundance.
For Wales, he played 38 times, scoring 15 goals. Had he not suffered an injury during the 1958 World Cup, the whole landscape of football may have been different.
His Welsh side came up against the Brazilians in the quarter-final, but he was unable to play. Had he been chosen in centre-back, there is a very high likelihood that he could have marked Pele out of the game. Pele eventually scored the winner, and the story of the greatest player who ever lived had begun.
Who knows, if circumstance had been different, it could have been the Welshman who was being called the greatest ever.
An underrated genius, John Charles is truly one of the greatest footballers the U.K, if not the world, has ever produced.
25 comments Last one added 5 months ago — Leave a Comment
David Arreola 5 months ago
Fantastic article with great insight.
I have a question for you.
Who do you think is the greater Welsh legend? Charles or Ryan Giggs?
I have a hard time imagining anyone beating the Welsh Wizard
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Barney 5 months ago
Cheers David!
It is hard to imagine anyone beating Giggs, but that should give you an insight as to just how great he was! I think it's Charles by quite some way!
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David Arreola 5 months ago
wow? by that much?
Giggs is the most decorated player in Manchester United history. That is saying something!
But, I suppose Charles played so long ago that he is almost an afterthought to the common fan.
I will be sure to read up on this "forgotten" football genius.
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David Arreola 5 months ago
I've just read up on him.
Honestly, I am quite shocked he isn't considered the best ever.
I would surely have him on the pitch if I managed a team with the world's best.
Right next to Maradona and Zidane.
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Steven Ho 5 months ago
"I've just read up on him.
Honestly, I am quite shocked he isn't considered the best ever."
Shocked? But you haven't even seen him play!
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Barney Cotton 5 months ago
Great article...easily POTD!
Barney
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Willie Gannon 5 months ago
Jaysus Barney....voting for yourself LOL
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Barney 5 months ago
Cheers Barney! (great name by the way)
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Willie Gannon 5 months ago
Nice article Barney, as far as I'm aware he was voted the best import ever in Italy, and Luther Blissett was voted the worst...
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Barney 5 months ago
Cheers Willie! Luther Blissett was really voted the worst?! Surely theres been worse!
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Matt S 5 months ago
What a great player. If he was Brazilian or Italian we’d never hear the end of him.
To be the best of the best you normally have to have won the World Cup but there’s always exceptions to the rule…
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Barney 5 months ago
There certainly are! George Best and Di Stefano never even played in a World Cup!
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Keith Griffin 5 months ago
Great one Barney! Love these sort of articles that give me an insight into something I didnt know about. So its an education aswell! :)
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Barney 5 months ago
Cheers Keith!
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Steven Ho 5 months ago
In a vote to determine the greatest player to ever play in Serie A, none of these players won.
Sorry to be the negative one, but what vote was this?
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Salomon Gonzales 5 months ago
I know, I was thinking the same thing... ;)
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Barney 5 months ago
Hard to believe isn't it?! It's true though, in the Italian media there was a poll to determine the greatest, and Charles won. Perhaps some indication of how good he was!
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Steven Ho 5 months ago
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/1185913.stm
"Welsh football legend John Charles has been awarded the ultimate honour from the official Italian football authority.
Charles, one of Wales' most versatile and respected footballers, has become the first non-Italian player to be inducted into the Azzuri Football Hall of Fame."
He seems like he was a great player and most possibly a great man. Thanks for bringing him into my knowledge bank Barney.
Although the article later goes on to say this: "Not even the likes of Maradonna, Platini or Zidane have received the honour." Which makes me question what conditions a player must've met to enter that particular hall of fame. Cos if it was based on ability alone then who else is in that hall of fame?!!
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Maire Ofeire 5 months ago
That's am....a nice picture there Barney...Charles is..never mind LOL
Nice article
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Barney 5 months ago
Haha! It's the only picture I could find! Try and focus on the article if that's not asking too much! haha!
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Jordon Tefft 5 months ago
Can't believe I've never heard of him.
I've been wondering if there was ever a player who played any position with ease. That is how I am, just not as much talent. *sigh*
Great article!
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Barney 5 months ago
Haha! Cheers Jordon! Keep working at it, we'll make a John Charles out of you yet!
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Jordon Tefft 5 months ago
I think my playing time is up. Just graduated. =(
Was second string for every position, then third string keeper... >.>
On to coaching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
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Steven Ho 5 months ago
"I've been wondering if there was ever a player who played any position with ease." Zizou. :D
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Jordon Tefft 5 months ago
Maybe. But how often did he play sweeper?? lol
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