Gianluca Vialli was a proud Italian but also a natural Londoner.
His arrival at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 1996 heralded a new sense of style in the Premier League, the capital and the nation. And until he finally succumbed to cancer aged 58, he never left his adopted home.
Vialli, who was brought up in a 14th century castle purchased by his self-made father, always oozed class from a different age.
After scoring four goals at Barnsley, his then manager Ruud Gullit claimed he was playing better because “he’s given up smoking”.
