We love the wonderfully descriptive nicknames that the famous Italian journalist Gianni Brera gave to the top Serie A footballers of the day. Luigi Riva was the fortunate recipient of one of his most descriptive: to Brera he was ‘rombo di tuono,‘ or roar of thunder; an elegant and concise encapsulation of the way the Cagliari striker would suddenly explode into life in a dangerous attacking situation. His left foot was brutally powerful and he was famous for the sheer violence of his shooting.

One of the most famous stories associated with Riva is the training ground incident when one of his shots broke the arm of a young fan. It happened in October 1970 and this picture shows Riva visiting his 9-year-old victim, Danilo Piroddi, in hospital. Riva would be back in hospital just days after this picture was taken when he badly broke his right leg during an international match against Austria.