This Day in History: 2022-10-31

Nr. 333

CHARLES ACCEPTS ITALIAN JOB (1957)

In the summer of 1957 Welsh striker John Charles of Leeds United became one of the first British players to join a foreign club when he signed for Juventus for a then British record fee of £67,000. Over the following five seasons in Turin Charles proved his worth by
scoring 93 goals in 155 games and winning the Scudetto on three occasions. Three decades later Juventus fans voted Charles their greatest ever foreign player. «I had many happy memories playing for Leeds and Wales, but what gave me the most pleasure was winning the Italian championship with Juventus at the end of my first season with them in 1958,» said Charles.

Juventus captain Gianpiero Boniperti sizes up his team’s new £67,000 capture John Charles when the Welshman arrived in Turin.