Following the death of football legend Diego Maradona, Pembrokeshire sports pundit Fraser Watson has paid tribute to the man dubbed ‘the greatest player of his generation’.

Famous for his ‘Hand of God’ goal against England at the 1986 World Cup before Argentina went on to win the tournament, Maradona is considered by many to be the best player to ever grace the game.

“Often colossal, sometimes controversial, always captivating. Diego Maradona was a rare footballing commodity.,” writes Fraser.

“A genius with undeniable flaws, a golden talent tainted by misdemeanor, a maverick whose status could switch from loathed villain to untouchable God in mere moments.

“Perhaps this was never encapsulated better than the infamous World Cup Game between his beloved Argentina and England in the 1986 World Cup. The deliberate handball past Peter Shilton that put his side 1-0 up after 51 minutes saw him momentarily loathed. On 55 minutes, he would score one of the great solo international goals which even the most hardened of patriotic English supporters had little choice but to admire.

“Whether you loved him or hated him, you could never ignore him.

“His role in that subsequent 1986 success, plus his heroics with Napoli, defined his ability - but his legacy extended way beyond that.

“He wasn’t governed by footballing science, or a desire to rack up stats. Maradona was a figure who loved playing football, who lived to have the ball at his feet, who would dribble past defenders on the biggest stage as if he were on the school playground.

“He helped a generation of youngsters fall in love with the beautiful game and in the eyes of so many, that overrides any of his disciplinary lapses, some of which surfaced on the field, many of which proved ugly media storms off it.

“Sadly, health problems meant a sense of inevitability about his premature demise.

“At the age of 60, the man Gary Lineker today dubbed as the greatest player of his generation will become accustomed with the hand of God once more. And he leaves behind a legacy, that I dare say no individual in the game will ever match.”