Iconic forward Ferenc Puskas, who died yesterday aged 79, has been hailed as a football visionary. Puskas played in the Hungary team who inflicted England's first defeat in Wembley with a 6-3 thrashing in 1953 - followed by an even more embarrassing 7-1 defeat in Budapest a year later.
The loss forever dispelled the superiority assumed by most English players and supporters until that point and forced a modernisation of tactics and attitudes which eventually bore fruit in the same stadium 13 years later when England won the World Cup.
Former England forward Tom Finney was a spectator at the Wembley clash with the "Magical Magyars", and claimed Puskas's performance was on a different level to anything seen in Britain before.
"I remember him, of course, from the two English games," he said. "I had the pleasure of watching him at Wembley and gave a wonderful performance. It was really something to behold. It was an exhibition of wonderful football. We'd never seen the likes of it."
Puskas, who became known as the "Galloping Major" due to his time served in the army, was revered as his country's most famous son, and the Hungarian FA has announced a raft of tributes ahead of this weekend's games.
Puskas's place among football's greatest players is secure after a remarkable career which brought unprecedented success on the domestic, European and international fronts.
He is perhaps best remembered for his performances for Hungary, although one of the best international teams ever seen was to endure World Cup disappointment in 1954 when they lost to West Germany in the final, in a tournament that saw Puskas hampered by injury.
In all, he scored 83 goals in 84 games for Hungary, but enjoyed even more success at club level after signing for Spanish giants Real Madrid in 1958. Five league titles and three European Cups followed, including one secured by the famous 7-3 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hampden Park final of 1960, in which Puskas scored four times.
Alex Ferguson was in the Hampden crowd on that night for one of Puskas's most glorious moments and yesterday he hailed "a very special player". However, while Ferguson will never forget Puskas's four-goal salvo in the 1960 European Cup final, a visit to Ibrox three years later also sticks in the mind.
"I was lucky to see Puskas play quite a few times," said Ferguson. "I have many memories of him. I was at the European Cup final in 1960 but I also saw him score the only goal against Rangers at Ibrox, before he got a hat-trick against them when Real scored six in the second leg.
"In his day he was a special player without question, part of that great period for Hungarian football. How they did not win the World Cup in 1954 is beyond me."
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who was born in Madrid and followed Real as a boy, claimed "football has lost a great man".
Benitez said: "I grew up as a Madrid supporter and the three players everyone talked to me about was (Francisco) Gento, (Alfredo) di Stefano and Puskas; they were the three best ever.
"All the Madrid people would say all the time was 'Puskas, Puskas, Puskas'. He signed for the club at 32 and still won everything and scored so many goals. He was so precise as a finisher.
"Gento had most European Cup winners medals - six - and di Stefano changed the way Real Madrid were as a club. But Puskas was the best finisher. He would receive the ball, turn, shoot and score. Every time."
Another famous member of the Madrid "Golden Team" was di Stefano and he led the tributes to his former colleague. "I have lost a friend and a star. Puskas was that, as a player and as a person," he said. "The last time I was with him was two years ago, when all of his former team-mates travelled to Budapest to pay tribute to him. Puskas has been one of the best footballers of all time."
Puskas retired in 1966 and enjoyed some success as a coach, leading Panathinaikos to the 1971 European Cup final, and later returning home to briefly become caretaker manager of the national team.
