Paul Kelly writes that in 1964 Denis Law scored 50 goals in 51 matches, a staggering return that earned him the Ballon d’Or.

Giovanni Trapattoni says that Seamus Coleman has the potential to deliver at the highest level in football and could even go on to merit comparison with two of Italy’s most celebrated full-backs, the 1982 World Cup winning pair of Claudio Gentile and Antonio Cabrini.

If Ireland are to regroup and successfully renew their World Cup campaign after Friday’s humiliation, Marco Tardelli might be the man to get the players to put it behind them.

Match of the Century, they called it. There’s even a plaque on the wall of the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to commemorate the delirious 4-3 win that sent Italy through to the final of the 1970 World Cup at the expense of West Germany.