Ben Shepherd paid tribute to Diego Madonna on Good Morning Britain today as he remembers playing against a football hero in a moment of a lifetime.
The Argentine football legend died on Wednesday at the age of 60, as well as being remembered for his unparalleled influence in world football.
But speaking with GMB co-star Susanna Reid, host Ben remembered the humble player he met in 2006 as part of the inaugural Soccer Aid match.
He said: ‘There was this extraordinary charisma around this game.
‘It was just a surprise, as the expectation was that he would only play 10-15 minutes at the start of the game, but he wouldn’t come back.
‘He was having so much fun, he absolutely loved every minute of it. Focusing on the football pitch. ‘
Mentioning his abilities and the ‘Hand God F God’ goal that knocked England out of the World Cup in 1986, Ben admitted that the player’s reception was low-warm.
“There was a huge boom when he got on the pitch, of course, everything he did in the 86th World Cup,” Ben explains.
By the time he was gone, he had gone into vague standing enthusiasm. Listening to it on the pitch, listening to that change in tone
‘Very quickly, everyone forgot what they did in ’86 and just liked the fact that they were able to see it.’
The current annual charity match to raise money for UNICEF – Soccer Aid, England vs. Rest of the World game sees celebrities and pro players join forces.
Launched in 2006 at Old Trafford with Maradona’s help, the competition has so far raised more than 38 38 million for the charity.
Good Morning Britain airs on ITV from 6 a.m. on weekdays.
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