JOHN Charles's death has revealed him as a man held dear in Wales, Yorkshire and Italy.

The Wales, Juventus and Leeds football legend passed away on Saturday, aged 72, with a career behind him in which he won 38 caps for his country and three Serie A titles in Italy.

He is remembered locally, too, as landlord of the Commercial in Churwell, Morley, and the Gomersal Park Hotel, Gomersal, since taken over and extended.

Charles scored 15 goals for his country and played in the last Welsh team to qualify for the World Cup when they reached the quarter-finals in 1958.

At Juventus, he scored 93 goals in 155 matches at a time when the Italian League was the most defensive in the world.

He also played for Roma and Cardiff and was equally at home at centre-half or centre- forward.

With Juventus, he would often score a goal to put them ahead and then be drafted into defence to make sure they won.

Huddersfield Town coach Terry Yorath, a close friend of Charles, said: "Even up to his recent illness, whenever John arrived at Turin airport, people would applaud him."

"People loved him everywhere he went, though, because he was just such a lovely man - and there have been few better players in the world game."

Football Association of Wales general secretary David Collins said: "John was one of the greatest of all Welsh players, if not one of the world's great players."

Wales' first minister Rhodri Morgan said: "We have lost one of the greatest Welshmen of the 20th century."

He was awarded the CBE in 2001. In 2002 he was made a vice- president of the Football Association of Wales.

Swansea-born Charles, who won his first cap as an 18-year- old in 1950, passed away at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield.

It was while promoting the autobiography `King John' in Milan on January 7 that Charles collapsed before a TV show with a heart attack.