Robbie Keane has paid tribute to Gianluca Vialli after the Italian legend passed away following a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
The former Chelsea and Juventus star first contracted the disease five years ago. Despite this, he was a part of the Italian coaching ticket that led Italy to Euro 2020 glory.
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He passed away on Friday morning aged just 58.
Following the news, Republic of Ireland's record goalscorer Keane took to Instagram to hail Vialli as 'an absolute gentleman, gone way too soon, football will miss you.'
Vialli began his career in Italy with Cremonese and made his debut for the club during the 1980/81 season. He joined Sampdoria in 1984 and scored 141 goals in 328 games.
He won Serie A, three Italian Cups and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Sampdoria before moving to Juventus for £12.5 million in 1992. At the time, this was the most expensive transfer in football history.
Another league title and cup triumph was secured in Turin before Vialli played a key role in The Old Lady's 1996 Champions League victory.
He is perhaps most famous for his spell at Chelsea, where he became a legendary figure as both a player and a manager, winning an FA Cup in both roles. He briefly managed Watford for one year after leaving Chelsea.
At International level, Vialli represented Italy on 59 occasions and scored 16 goals.
In 2017, Vialli was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Three years later, he revealed that he had beaten the disease and had been given the all-clear by doctors.
The disease returned however. But despite this, Vialli still played a key role in Italy's Euro 2020 victory. As 'delegation chief' of the National team, Vialli worked closely alongside Italian manager and former Sampdoria teammate Roberto Mancini as the Azzurri picked up their first major trophy since the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Just last month, it was announced that Vialli was stepping away from his position with the national team.
Before Christmas, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that both his mother and brother had travelled to London to spend time with him.
He passed away in a London hospital on Friday morning.
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