Diego Maradona, Argentine footballing icon, global star and World Cup winner, dies aged 60

Diego Maradona, one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game and an Argentine icon passed away today at the age of 60.
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Media reports in Argentina emerged this afternoon that the former attacking midfielder and World Cup winner had suffered a heart attack and a statement from the Argentine Football Association posted a statement on social media expressing "its deepest sorrow for the death of our legend. You will always be in our hearts."

A global star with a mesmeric control of the ball for Barcelona and Napoli, Maradona played in four World Cups for his country and scored 34 international goals in his 91 caps.

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Maradona wore the captain's armband when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup and scored two famous goals against England in the quarter-finals, one of which was a breathtaking solo effort and the other the controversial 'Hand of God' goal.

WORLD ICON - Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60WORLD ICON - Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60
WORLD ICON - Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60

He was once the subject of a 1987 lunch conversation at Elland Road between the late Leeds United director Bill Fotherby and Maradona's agent Jon Smith, that quickly became front page news in the city.

YEP chief football writer at the time, Don Warters, recalls how Fotherby, a man with an eye for publicity, broke the 'news' to him.

"I became very friendly with Bill," said Warters.

"He was good to me and he liked publicity. He rang me and said 'oh by the way, I've just spoken to Maradona's agent' and this was about 2pm.

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"I said 'oh right, why?' and he replied 'well we want to sign him if we can.' Bill was a salesman. I thanked him, asked him to keep it quite and he agreed not to tell anyone else, and I rang the office. Do it straight away, they said, and replated the last edition of the Evening Post.

"It came out with just one word in the headline 'Maradona' - front page lead. The editor at the time said we couldn't risk waiting for tomorrow, we had to do it now, so everyone had to pull their finger out and get cracking."

Fotherby told the story of how Maradona became linked to the club via the Daily Mail, saying:" "Everyone thought we were crazy. But I got Smith up to Leeds and we had lunch in the box, looking onto the pitch.

"Soon we were getting phone calls from Buenos Aires about Maradona. Directors of Arsenal and Tottenham are asking: 'Are you going for b****y Maradona? Where have you got the money from?'"

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"I had dinner with the [Lazio] chairman. He told me: 'We'll do a deal, but you must not tell a soul that you're here for him'. I agreed.

"I got up the following morning and went down for breakfast. I got the Gazetta newspaper. Headline: 'Fotherby, managing director of Leeds United, here to sign Gascoigne'. The deal fell apart."

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