Having played against him, the late legendary Diego Maradona certainly gets Liam Buckley’s vote as GOAT.
Ahead of Sunday’s FAI Cup semi-final against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium, Sligo Rovers’ manager Buckley took some time out to remember the Argentinian superstar who died on Wednesday aged 60.
“I did, yes, it was a League of Ireland selection back in 1980,” recalled Buckley, also 60, on playing against Argentina and Maradona at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires – scene of the South Americans’ World Cup win two years earlier.
“At the time I didn’t know a huge amount about him, bar having heard his name being mentioned and he was supposed to be a very, very good player.
“In the match he was fantastic. We lost 1-0 and he scored the goal.
“I can remember him going past one of our lads in the middle of the park, skipping to the edge of the box and he scored.
“He was a bit of a player then, but I didn’t know what sort of a career he would go on to have.
“But, by God, he’d some career. He was definitely the best player of my generation and arguably the best overall.
“That’s with great respect to your Peles, Cruyffs and all these guys who were all top players. But for me he was arguably the best.
“By a stretch, he was the best for me.
“If you said to me, pick him or your Ronaldos or Messis. I’d argue to put him ahead of them.”
