‘Il Gigante Buono’: The John Charles story – Football’s Gentle Giant | OneFootball

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From Ballon d’Or winners to World Cup heroes, Juventus’ history is defined by the extraordinary parade of global talent that has driven its relentless pursuit of silverware. From Zidane to Platini and Edgar Davids to Cristiano Ronaldo, all have left their mark, but one foreign export from a coastal city in Wales made his mark on the club and left a legacy that mirrored his grand stature, as he helped pave the club’s path to world football’s elite table.

This is his story, this is the story of John Charles.

Humble Beginnings

In December 1931, in the Cwmbwrla suburb of Wales, one mile north of the coal mining city of Swansea, John Charles was born into a working-class family where his father, Ned Charles, was a steel construction worker and his mother, Lillian Charles, a homemaker who looked after John and his four siblings.

Ned, as well as being a steel construction worker, had been a footballer himself, but his career was cut short by injuries; yet this did not stop him from passing on his love of the game to John and his brothers. This passion paid off, as both John and his brother Mel would go on to make it at the professional level, with Mel carving out an excellent professional career himself with Arsenal. Cardiff and Swansea City. On top of this, the two brothers would also go on to represent their country as teammates, accruing 69 caps between them.

Unable to afford football boots, Charles played the game in normal footwear that had been fitted with leather straps by his father, but this did not stop him taking to the game like a natural. John Charles played for a few local junior teams, including Manselton Senior School, before being scouted by a Swansea Town (now Swansea City) scout by the name of Joe Sykes. Charles was invited to be part of the ground staff at the club, which was the standard pathway for young players back in the 1940’s, and Sykes couldn’t rave enough about the gem he had discovered. Mario Risoli, author of John Charles – Gentle Giant, relayed a quote from Sykes in a piece for WelshOnline, where he says:

This was a dream come true for Charles who, as a kid, would sneak into The Vetch on occasions just to catch a glimpse of his idol, Welsh forward Trevor Ford. Charles had a bright future ahead of him but, in life, nothing is straightforward, and John Charles would soon find this out.

Tough Start:

John Charles jumped at the chance to be part of his hometown club, with his role on the ground staff seeing him get the opportunity to train with the team; however, he was also tasked with carrying out manual tasks like painting and tidying the terraces, polishing the first-team players’ boots, and weeding the pitch, just to name a few.

Despite his unprecedented talent, the youngster found it difficult to break into the first team due to the manager at the time, Billy McCandless, facing pressure to get the team promoted back into the Second Division, resulting in McCandless’s reluctance to gamble on playing any new young talents.

The lack of opportunities frustrated Charles, as his desire to play for his boyhood club was one that was within his grasp, but all he needed was the chance. However, ever the gentleman, John Charles would also be appreciative of the opportunity he had, saying in his autobiography King John:

Due to his ground staff agreement with the club, the youngster, technically, had not signed a contract with the club, an opportunity that the Leeds United Chief Scout for South Wales, Jack Pickard, took full advantage of. Pickard happened to be watching the team train and noticed this tall youngster with silky smooth ability, who made the game look too easy. As well training with his boyhood club, Charles also played for a local side by the name of Gendros, and it was here that Pickard really got to witness his talent, firsthand, in a match environment and knew he had to get Charles to Elland Road.

The Vetch Field, at the time Charles was part of the ground staff. Credit: Swansea City.

However, there was one major hurdle Pickard had to get over and that was Charles’s family, who were very reluctant to see their boy travel far away from home. With a very convincing pitch, Pickard dwindled the family’s hesitancy and, in the end, got Ned and Lily Charles to reluctantly agree for Charles to join him in Leeds so the youngster could pursue his dream. One key aspect of their decision was the alternative Charles had should he not pursue a career in football, which would realistically see him grow up and join his father in the steelworks, and this was something Ned did not wish for any of his children.

In December 1947, Charles joined a couple of his Swansea Town schoolboy teammates, Bobby Hennings and Harry Griffiths, on the journey to Elland Road for a trial with Leeds United. The youngster would leave his boyhood club having made only one appearance, which came in a reserves game, and to this day is still famously regarded as the greatest player Swansea Town never had.

Finding His Feet

With the Second World War still a recent memory, Leeds United and many clubs were in a transitional period as they looked to recover from the damage the war caused. Most clubs were forced to rebuild shattered infrastructures, manage the physical toll of any injured or deceased players, and adapt to severe austerity experienced in the aftermath of the war. On top of this, the strict player wage caps were introduced to help rebuild the finances of clubs, but this resulted in a growing tension between the players and their respective club management.

Now in a world away from his home, Charles would be under the guidance and tutelage of Leeds manager Major Frank Buckley, who was a former professional player himself back in the early 1900’s. Buckley saw huge potential in Charles right away, and with his squad in need of some new blood as a result of the impact the war had through either the unfortunate deaths of some of his players and those who were still recovering from injuries caused by their service in the war.

In Buckley, Charles had a father figure away from home, and this father – son dynamic would be the start of a wonderful relationship that would eventually lead to Buckley moulding Charles into one of the finest talents of his generation and giving Charles his debut in 1949. Andrew Dalton, author of An Official History of Leeds United (2020), spoke of Charles’s Leeds debut, which came on the 19th April 1949 against Scottish side Queen of the South:

The youngster, in for the injured Tom Holley, already had a challenge on his hands in the match when he was up against Scottish striker Billy Houliston, who was fresh off tormenting England’s defence in Scotland’s 3-1 win at Wembley. However, unlike the English defence, Houliston found it difficult against the towering centre – back as Charles stifled the Scottish striker and protected his goal like a warrior. Houliston would go on to say, many years later, that Charles was “The best centre- half I ever played against”. This shows just how talented he was at such a young age.

John Charles in the away colours of Leeds United. Credit: Getty Images/Don Morley/Allsport UK

Four days later, on the 23rd April 1949, Charles would go on to make his competitive debut for Leeds when they played Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, in what turned out to be another 0 – 0 draw. This was a testament to how solid the team was with John Charles in the back line, despite him only making three appearances at the back end of the season, as Leeds went on to finish in 15th place in the old Second Division.

In the 1949/50 season, Charles became a mainstay in the starting eleven, making 47 appearances in all competitions and scoring his first goal in a 2 -1 away win at Plymouth Argyle, in what was his 20th appearance for the club.

The following season, in the 1950/51 season, Charles made 36 appearances for the club and increased his goal output to three goals for the campaign, which was decent for a centre – back. However, his Leeds career was put on hold when he was selected to do his two years of national service in the 12th Royal Lancers of the British Army, which he did whilst also undergoing two cartilage operations. This meant Charles was out of the team for an extensive period between the 1950 and 1952 seasons, resulting in him only managing 23 appearances for the club.

The New Dragon

With his impressive performances at the heart of Leeds United’s defence, Charles was called up to represent his country and earned his first cap on the 8th March 1950 against Northern Ireland, in yet another 0 – 0 draw. This cap made Charles the youngest ever player to represent Wales, at just 18 years old, and this was a record that would last for just over 40 years until Ryan Giggs went on to break it in 1991, at the age of 17 years and 322 days old.

Before his debut, Charles had been endorsed as the ‘Golden Boy of Welsh Football’‘ but his less-than-impressive debut saw him subsequently lose his place in the starting eleven to the more experienced Arsenal centre-back, Ray Daniel.

John Charles playing for the Dragons in 1951. Credit: beyondthelastman.com

Charles’s opportunities to reclaim his place in the eleven were limited over the next two years, due to the combination of the requirement for him to complete his National Service and the two cartilage operations he underwent. Yet, despite all the setbacks, Charles got his opportunity to finally get back into the Welsh side in April 1953, as a result of his impressive performances for Leeds, where he had been transitioned from centre-back to centre-forward. Just like at club level, Charles’s eye for goal continued for his country as he went on to score his first two goals for Wales in their 3 – 2 win over Northern Ireland.

During his Wales career, which spanned from 1950 to 1965, Charles would go on to score 15 goals in 38 appearances for his country. Scarily, his goal tally at international level could have been much higher, had it not been for his early setbacks and managers continuously switching him between two roles instead of allowing him to really make an impact in his best position: centre-forward.

The Making of A Giant

Despite finishing 5th and 6th in the 1950/51 and 1951/52 seasons, Leeds struggled to score goals and kill off games where they were in front. So, in an effort to change their fortunes, Major Buckley decided to trial Charles further up the pitch for the following season in the hopes that the 6′ 2″ presence of Charles, coupled with his technical skill, would be the answer to their goalscoring problems.

The move was a stroke of genius and one that his faith in Charles repaid when the youngster went on to score 26 league goals in 40 league appearances, with a goal in his only FA Cup appearance to add. Leeds finished 10th this season, despite the increase in goal production, as the lack of Charles’s presence in the back line had a detrimental effect that saw the team leak a lot more goals.

Unfortunately, Major Frank Buckley left his role with Leeds after failing to get the club promoted, and was replaced by Raich Carter in the 1952/53 season. However, this did not stop Charles and Andrew Dalton, author of An Official History of Leeds United (2020), who explained this further by saying:

1953 was also the year that Charles would marry his girlfriend at the time, Margaret ‘Peggy’ White, in March 1953. The couple would go on to have four sons in their 29 – year marriage.

John Charles scoring for Leeds United. Credit: www.mightyleeds.co.uk

Despite his impressive goal return after transitioning to centre – forward, Leeds did not manage to get out of the Second Division after another 10th-place finish, where they only managed to score 89 goals, with Charles scoring nearly half of them. Unfortunately, the following season was a much quieter goal-scoring campaign for Charles, by his expectations, with him scoring 11 goals in 40 league appearances; however, this was out of his hands. After Leeds only managed one win in their opening six games as a result of their inability to stop leaking goals, Charles was moved back into the defence in the hopes that his presence would help shore things up at the back, which it did.

This move did not sit well with Charles, but he continued to be the ultimate pro and did his duty for the team. Charles’s adaptability to positional change was seen as a compliment and a way of showcasing the world-class ability he possessed. Yet, to many, this was also seen as a curse due to managers often sacrificing his goalscoring to solidify the team defensively, and vice versa.

In the 1955/56 season. Charles was awarded the honour of club captain by Raich Carter, followed by a return to his favoured role up front, and was back amongst the goals to quickly remind everyone of what the team was missing in the previous season. Charles went on to score 29 goals in 41 league appearances and led the team back to the promised land as Leeds finally gained promotion into the First Division for the first time in a decade.

Now playing the best teams in the country, many wondered if Charles could be as prolific in as he had been in the division below, but the doubters were soon silenced as he went on to score 38 goals in 40 league appearances to finish as the league’s top goal scorer. His goals also helped Leeds United finish a respectable 8th place in their return season in the top flight of English football.

The Race for a Superstar

With his prolificacy in front of goal and Leeds United’s need to ease their financial burdens, many of Europe’s top clubs swooped in to sign Charles, who was taking the English leagues by storm. Real Madrid, the reigning European champions, were very keen on getting a deal done as they saw him as the perfect fit in their strategy of signing the best talents in the world to maintain their European dominance. Unfortunately, Charles expressed his desire to not relocate to Spain, which disappointed the Spanish giants and led to them pulling out of the race. However, this did not dent their ambitions because the following year they would go on to sign a player who is still considered one of their greatest ever: Ferenc Puskás.

Domestically, it was Arsenal, Sunderland and the reigning First Division champions Manchester United who would fight it out for Charles’s signature. Arsenal offered £40,000, but their offer was outdone by both Manchester United and Sunderland, who increased the bidding to £50,000. United, in particular, were huge admirers of Charles, and United’s manager, Sir Matt Busby, wanted to add the versatile Welshman to his squad of talented youngsters known as The Busby Babes, who were looking to win the club’s first European Cup. Unfortunately, all three clubs ended their pursuit of the striker when Leeds took the stance that they would not sell Charles to another English club, especially a rival like Manchester United.

It was in Italy, where interest really heightened for Charles, especially when a scout and someone considered to be football’s first ‘super agent’ named Gigi Peronace got involved. The Italian agent developed a deep understanding of British football during his time as the translator for English manager Jesse Carver, who was in charge of Lazio when the two met and became good friends. In fact, it was Carver who first alerted Peronace and Lazio to Charles, eventually leading to the club’s hierarchy’s decision to pursue a deal and use Peronace to begin negotiations. However, when Carver was let go by Lazio, Peronace soon followed and decided to head for England, instead of following his friend to Juventus, as he saw an opportunity to exploit the financial imbalances that the English Football League’s maximum wage cap had caused so he could poach the best players for Italian football’s gain.

John Charles (left) and Gigi Peronace (right) in Leeds before Charles was brought to Juventus. Credited to pallonateinfaccia.com.

Whilst in England, Peronace remembered Carver’s recommendation of Charles and decided to go watch him play a few times at Elland Road. Peronace was left amazed by what he had witnessed and went on a two – year pursuit to bring the player to Italy, specifically Lazio due to the earlier negotiations he’d started during his time with the club. The agent’s efforts really intensified after he heard about the financial difficulties Leeds United were facing at the time, opening the door to a deal being done, but it would not be cheap.

With Charles looking to be destined for the Italian capital, a major twist occurred when Peronace redeveloped ties with another one of his former clubs, Juventus. Upon watching Charles in action, it was Juventus’s President Umberto Agnelli that Peronace phoned, instead of Lazio, where he stated to Agnelli that he had seen “the greatest centre-forward in the world”. Agnelli confirmed this phone call when he gave an interview to Mario Risoli for his biography King John: The John Charles Story. This grand claim caught the attention of Umberto Agnelli and his family, who owned the club, resulting in Juventus officially entering the race for Charles’s signature. The club’s sheer determination to win this race was fuelled by the Agnelli family’s desire to rebuild the team after a disappointing 9th place finish in the previous season, which saw Juventus go into the 1957/58 season as one of the favourites for relegation.

The club’s owners, the Agnelli family, were also the owners of the prominent Italian car manufacturer FIAT, so were very wealthy, and they used their financial might to bid a breathtaking £65,000 for Charles, as they looked to reverse the club’s fortunes. If accepted, this fee would become the new British transfer record for a player, almost doubling the previous record held by South African striker Eddie Firmani after he moved from Charlton Athletic to Sampdoria for £35,000, in July 1955. Firmani’s move was also one of Peronace’s first deals he exploited after coming to England to build his player network.

In an attempt to salvage the deal, Lazio decided to match Juventus’s bid, but Peronace’s switching of allegiances and close bond with Charles saw him use the player’s limited knowledge of European football to convince Charles that Turin was the superior destination for his career. On top of this, the Agnelli family decided to sweeten the deal by offering Charles a £10,000 signing-on fee, an apartment and a car in an attempt to cement Charles’s decision to choose the Turin side. The tactic worked, and a deal was struck between Juventus and Leeds, in room 233 of the Queen’s Hotel in Leeds, for the British record transfer of John Charles. In August 1957, four months after playing his last game for Leeds, Charles officially signed for Juventus in a deal that saw his old club acquire much-needed funds to repair their West Stand, which had burnt down.

From Yorkshire Grit to Turin Grandeur

With a British record fee agreed, Charles arrived in Turin to a sea of flashing cameras from the Italian press, who marvelled at this imposing, yet courteous giant of a man. To add more allure to his arrival, over 2,000 Juventus fans welcomed him with chants of “Ecco Nostro Salvator”, translating to “Here comes our Saviour!”, as they already crowned him as the man to turn their beloved club’s fortunes around.

Charles was also greeted by Juventus President, Umberto Agnelli, who presented him with a welcome gift in the form of the iconic black and white striped jersey of the club, which featured a large number nine stitched onto the back. Agnelli himself then stretched the famous jersey across Charles’s chest to symbolically cover the suit he was wearing, which still bore the hanging sheep emblem of his former club, Leeds United, to symbolise Charles now becoming one of the I Bianconeri.

Presentation of John Charles(left) and Umberto Agnelli (right) at Charles’s presentation as a Juventus player on the 3rd August 1957. Credited: Juventus FC and mundialistasymitos.blogspot.com

Culture – shocked and realising he was now in a world away from home, Charles became overwhelmed by the sudden luxury and wealth bestowed upon him by the club’s owner and Fiat baron, Gianni Agnelli. Charles recalled his first experience of this cultural difference in an interview with the Guardian, in February 2004, where he described a blunder he made on day one:

On the pitch, Charles’s first taste of Italian football came on the 8th September 1957, in a league game against Hellas Verona, and he wasted little time in earning the adoration of his new fans as he scored the winning goal to become an instant hero with the Juventini. Despite this dream debut, Charles found his first game for his new club hard and compared the rough and aggressive nature of Italian footballers to that of “running into brick walls”, in his autobiography King John.

However, Charles soon settled into life in his new surroundings as he embraced the defensive and tactical nuances of Italian football, becoming impressed with the training facilities he had at his disposal compared to the ones back in England.

The Rise of King John

Charles’s stature at Juventus continued to rise, and in his first derby against Torino, on the 13th October 1957, he again scored the winning goal to seal a 1 -0 for Juventus in the Derby della Mole. However, it was an act of sportsmanship that saw Charles steal the headlines when, according to Mario Risoli, author of John Charles – Gentle Giant, Charles accidentally knocked out an opposing Torino centre – back with an inadvertent stray elbow as he was running through on goal.

With only the goalkeeper to beat, Charles decided to kick the ball out of play so the Torino player could receive treatment, a move that earned him the adoration of not only the Juventini but also the opposing fans. This act, along with Charles’ record of not receiving a single caution or red card throughout his entire career, despite his 6’2″ height and 14-stone physical presence, saw the Juventini hail him as ‘Il Gigante Buono’ – The Gentle Giant.

John Charles (right) signing autographs for his adoring fans at Juventus. Credited to www.gentlemanultra.com (Part of the Guardian Sports Network)

Charles became a beloved cultural figure in Turin amongst both the Juventini and his teammates, who were in awe of how special and talented he was in both an attacking and defensive sense, as he continued to do his fair share of defensive duties despite being one of the most clinical strikers in the world at the time.

The Italian journalists were also captivated by Juventus’s new star, with one journalist named Bruno Roghi, of the sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, writing about Charles as he trained with his new teammates, in late August 1957:

As one of the team’s main stars, Charles’s services were in high demand off the football pitch, and his secret talent of having an excellent bass singing voice was put to good use when he recorded popular songs such as ‘Sixteen Tons’ and ‘Love in Portofino’. Along with his striking partner, Omar Sívori, Charles took part in a documentary film about the two prolific forwards, and this brought him further exposure in his adopted home, so much so that his grand stature on and off the pitch saw the Italian fans and press bestow him the moniker of ‘King John’, to reflect him becoming a part of Italian football royalty.

1958 World Cup

With his presence quickly felt in his adopted home of Turin, the grandest stage in world football awaited when Wales qualified for their first-ever World Cup in 1958, but going into the tournament Wales lacked overall squad depth and elite international experience. With their starting XI being quite talented, the lack of quality in the reserves meant they were vulnerable to any fatigue or potential injuries to players over a gruelling tournament.

As the tournament got underway in Sweden, Wales were drawn in group three with the hosts (Sweden), Mexico and Hungary but, early on, the heavy reliance on Charles to be the one to drag them through could be seen when he scored the equaliser against Hungary, earning the Dragons their first World Cup point.

Despite being the focal point of Wales’s attack, Charles’s talent as an overall footballer became a detriment to his goal output when he had to help in defence as well as be the source of the goals. This showed when Wales only conceded two goals but did not manage to win any games as a result of a lack of any consistent goal threat, with two more draws following against Mexico (1 -1) and the hosts, Sweden (0 – 0).

As a result, Wales and Hungary ended up finishing on the same points and tied for second place in the group. To decide who would go through with the hosts from group three and into the quarter – finals, the two sides would have to face each other in a play-off match.

John Charles (left) playing for Wales against Mexico in the World Cup group match in Stockholm, in a 1-1 draw. Credited to The Yorkshire Post

Going into the play-off game, the Welsh camp’s determination to go as far as they could in their maiden tournament was high and rightly so, as they knew they had one of the best forwards and players on the planet in their team. Even the Welsh manager, Jimmy Murphy, felt the aura that Charles possessed and the belief he instilled in the team with his mere presence, which he summarised to the Welsh captain Dave Bowen in a private conversation. Bowen later revealed what Murphy told him in an interview titled ‘The Reign of King John’ that was published in The Independent on the 23rd December 1996, stating:

This quote shows the reverence that Charles had, even with his international manager, and the impact it had on the morale of the team. In the play-off game, goals from Ivor Allchurch and Terence Medwin saw Wales win 2 -1 to advance to the quarter – finals and a date with Brazil; however, this result came at a huge price, as Charles was badly injured and heavily bruised in the match, ruling him out of the quarter-final tie.

Having reached the last eight, Wales were surprised to have gotten this far, but with their talisman ruled out of the game, their confidence took a dent going into the game with Brazil. In their opponents, Wales would be up against a team that had a young sensation, whose name had been on everybody’s lips; a 17-year-old by the name of Pelé.

With the game evenly matched after 45 mins, it took the South American’s till the 66th minute when an individual piece of brilliance from the young Pelé broke the deadlock and saw him score his first World Cup goal – the first of many.

With their debut on the world stage ending in defeat, albeit to the side that would eventually go on to win the tournament, many in the Welsh side felt that if their talisman had been playing, then the result may have been very different. This was a sentiment echoed by their manager, when Jimmy Murphy stated in the post – match briefings:

For Charles, the feeling of disappointment was one he could not do anything about, but he later described it as “the biggest disappointment of my career” in his autobiography King John. However, being the modest gentleman he was, Charles also believed that his teammates could’ve done the job without him and echoed this in his autobiography when he stated that his teammates “could as equals rightfully rub shoulders with the best the world had to offer“. Unfortunately, Wales would have to wait 64 years to attend their next World Cup, with Gareth Bale‘s side breaking the streak in 2022, and it would also be the first and last time the world would get to witness the genius of John Charles at a World Cup.

The Holy Trident

Along with Charles, Juventus signed another forward in their efforts to rebuild the team, and his name was Omar Sívori, an Argentine who signed from River Plate for a fee of £91,000, which, according to FIFA records, was the then – world record fee for a player at the time. The two new forwards joined experienced Juventus forward Giampiero Boniperti and instantly hit it off to become a formidable force for Italian defences to try and contain.

In their debut season together, the trio scored 58 of Juventus’s 77 league goals, and Charles saw himself finish as the league’s top scorer with 28 of the goals, helping Juventus go from relegation contenders to winning their first Scudetto (The Italian championship) in six years. This victory also saw Juventus become the first Italian club to permanently sew a golden star onto their jersey, a tradition representing 10 league titles and one that is still practiced worldwide to this day. Sívori, in an interview with Mario Risoli for his book John Charles – Gentle Giant, credited his attacking partner with being the reason the title came back to Turin, saying:

On top of this historic achievement, Charles received personal recognition for finishing as the league’s top scorer in his debut season, when he was awarded the Italian Footballer of the Year award. This award was voted on by Italian sports journalists and media, as there was no official governing body to present the award, and today’s equivalent of the award would be the Serie A Player of the Season, which has only been won by one other British player: Scott McTominay.

With their ruthless nature in front of goal, the three superstars quickly became Europe’s most feared trio, earning them the nickname ‘Il Tridente Santo’ – ‘The Holy Trident’. What made the trio special was their unmatched chemistry despite all three having completely different and contrasting styles that, somehow, complemented each other. Charles was the peacemaker and aerial dominator with physically imposing strength, whereas Sívori was the maverick with unpredictable and high – speed dribbling, who brought the South American flair to the side. Finally, Boniperti was the architect of the goals, with his pinpoint passing and elite tactical intelligence making him the provider for both Charles and Sívori.

The Holy Trident of Juventus: Omar Sívori (left), John Charles (centre) and Giampiero Boniperti (right). Credited to mundialistasymitos.blogspot.com.

The following season, the trio would go on to score a combined 57 goals in all competitions; however, the goals were not enough to stop the defending champions from finishing a dismal 4th place in the league, but were enough to earn a 4 – 1 victory over Inter Milan to win the Coppa Italia. Despite a disappointing domestic season, Charles would go on to score 24 goals in all competitions, and this goal return, coupled with his impressive start to the 1959/60 season, earned him a third-place finish in the 1959 Ballon d’Or rankings. This award crowns the best player in the world for that year, with Charles only finishing behind Real Madrid duo Raymond Kopa and Alfredo Di Stéfano, with the latter going on to win his second Ballon d’Or in three years.

To make up for a poor second season, the trio came back with a vengeance in the 1959/60 season, and bagged a combined 68 goals between them, in all competitions, to lead Juventus to a second Scudetto and back-to-back Coppa Italias. Charles scored 29 goals alone that season, continuing to show his prolific nature in front of goal. A third Scudetto followed in the 1960/61 season, with Charles only scoring 16 goals in all competitions and Sívori earning the prestigious award of European Footballer of the Year in 1961.

The End of an Era & A Brief Homecoming

In 1961, the ‘Holy Trident’ came to an end when Giampiero Boniperti retired from the game and was followed by the departure of Charles a year later, leaving Sívori as the sole survivor of the once great trio. During their time together, from 1957 to 1961, the trio struck fear into Italian defences and would go on to win three Scudetto championships and two Coppa Italia cups, making them one of the most dominant attacking forces in not only European, but world football history as well.

However, now 30 years of age and with his family feeling homesick, Charles left his adopted home to return back to his beloved Leeds United in August 1962, in what would be a club – record fee of £53,000 for Leeds. Charles left Turin after scoring 93 league goals in 155 league matches for Juventus, making him one of the greatest players to have ever played for the club and in Italy, in general. His strike partner, Omar Sivori, spoke of his old teammate and friend in an interview, done in Turin for Charles’s eulogy, and perfectly summarised how big a cultural figure the Welshman was during their time together, saying:

Leeds’s decision to buy back their old hero was made by the Leeds manager at the time, Don Revie, who was reshaping the team. Revie believed Charles would be the spark the club needed to really push on for promotion, after the club found themselves relegated back to the Second Division of English football during Charles’s time in Italy.

John Charles out front of Elland Road after returning to the club in 1962. Credited to Getty Images/Don Morley/Allsport UK

With Charles back, the club capitalised on the excitement this created amongst the fans and raised the admission prices ahead of the 1962–63 season, as the feeling was that a real push for promotion was on the cards despite their appalling 19th place finish in the season before. Unfortunately, Charles struggled to re- adapt to the fast-paced and physical demands of the Second Division English football, after spending five glorious years in the more tactical environment of Italy, and had now been pushed back to centre – back more often than up front.

After only 11 appearances, where he scored three goals, Don Revie felt Charles had lost his magic and couldn’t keep up with the high – tempo demands he expected. So, when Roma came in with an offer of £70,000 in October 1962, a deal was done that saw Charles return to Italy but, this time, heading for the Italian capital. In what was to be his final appearance for the club, Charles said one final farewell to the Leeds faithful in another 0 – 0 draw, this time against Derby County. Over his two stints at the club, Charles scored an impressive 157 goals in 327 games for the club, and his 42 goal, league season is still a club record to this day.

Father Time is Undefeated

Now back in Italy, Charles was ready to pick up where he left off in Italy, but this spell proved more challenging for the returning legend as he became hampered by recurring knee injuries that kept him out of the team. On top of this, Charles was also going through some personal troubles in his life, with the decision to suddenly uproot his family back to Italy after they had just settled back in England not sitting well with his wife. This was not the only factor in Charles’s marriage now being on the rocks, as tensions had begun during his time with Juventus when the intensive training regimes of the players meant a lot of the wives felt isolated, none more than Peggy Charles, who reportedly briefly left Charles for a beach attendant.

Charles also found it incredibly difficult to integrate within the culture of Rome, with the social and cultural dynamics of Southern/Central Italy being vastly different from what he was used to during his time in Northern Italy, leaving him feeling socially isolated and homesick.

John Charles in the blue of Cardiff City, at Ninian Park. Credited to Cardiff City FC.

In August 1963, Charles and Roma decided to part ways after managing only ten league appearances, where he scored 4 goals, as well as a handful of appearances in European and secondary cup competitions. According to the Dictionary of Welsh Biography, a £20,000 fee was agreed for the transfer of Charles to Cardiff City and a return back to his beloved Wales, as well as the opportunity to play alongside his brother and fellow Welsh international, Mel Charles.

In his three year spell with The Bluebirds, Charles was primarily used as an imposing centre – back in order to accommodate his lack of speed, but the veteran still had an eye for goal when he had the occasional deployment back up front. However, now in his mid – 30s, Charles was beginning to really feel the pace of top – tier professional football getting to him, both physically and mentally. Fortunately, when an offer from Southern League/ non – league side Hereford United came in, in June 1966, the decision was an easy one and meant Charles would once again leave his homeland after scoring 18 goals in 67 appearances, in all competitions for Cardiff City.

Genius on the Pitch, Gaffer Off it

With the pressures of top – tier football now off his shoulders, and back playing in his preferred position up front, it was the fans of Hereford United that got to see the last real glimpses of Charles’s genius on a football pitch. Charles joined Hereford at a time when the club was near bankruptcy as they continued to overcome the effects of relegation in the 1964/65 season, despite earning promotion back the following season. Despite the off – field worries, Charles helped the club survive relegation by scoring an incredible 37 goals in 54 appearances, with some of these goals coming in some impressive feats that saw him score five in one game against Folkestone Town, followed by a double – week masterclass where he scored four goals against Chelmsford City and another four goals against Newport County, all in the same week.

As everything seemed to be going great for the new hero of Hereford, his new challenge in the Southern League took a surprise turn when the club decided to part ways with their manager, Bob Dennison, in December 1967. To replace Dennison, the club decided to offer Charles a player – manager role at the club, and this was a challenge that Charles relished as it allowed him to not only make an impact on the pitch, but off it as well.

His first season in the new role saw him lead the Bulls to a 14th place finish, after winning 17 out of 42 games, drawing 7 and losing 18. Yet, on the pitch, Charles still managed to contribute to the team’s goals by scoring ten himself but, despite a decent league finish, Charles managed to lead Hereford to the Welsh Cup final, where his former side Cardiff City awaited. However, he was unable to bring silverware to Edgar Street, as Hereford went on to lose the two-legged final 6 -1, with Charles scoring Hereford’s only goal in the second – leg of the final.

John Charles collects his runners-up medal in the Welsh Cup final for Hereford United, in 1968. Credited to Mirrorpix.

Another 14th-place finish the following season, followed by a 10th-place finish in the 1969/70 season, saw the team steadily improving under Charles, and his shrewd judgement of talent played a major role in the team’s turning of fortunes. Unfortunately, the physical toll of Charles’s career had now caught up with him on the pitch, resulting in the team’s immediate trajectory starting to plateau despite him initially positioning the Bulls in good stead for promotion.

As a result, Charles decided to resign from his player-manager role in September 1971, having taken the club from near bankruptcy to one of the top teams in non-league football. Even though his tenure came to an early end, Charles’s five-year spell with the Bulls saw him score an astounding 130 goals in 243 first-team appearances, in all competitions, whilst at the same time building the foundation of a team that would go on to finish the season in 2nd place and gain promotion into the Football League, under his successor, Colin Addison.

Also, Charles’s shrewd signings over his tenure saw him responsible for building a side that would be the foundation of Hereford United’s famous 1972 F.A Cup ‘Giant Killers’ squad, who famously knocked Newcastle United out of the cup.

Retirement and Troubles

Following his departure from Hereford United, Charles returned to his homeland to become player – manager at Southern Football League side Merthyr Tydfil in 1972. Here, the 40-year-old provided his final exploits on a football pitch, though back at centre – back, before transitioning strictly to management. However, in his second season, he did get to captain the side against his former team, Hereford United, in front of 8,400 fans for a highly anticipated Welsh Cup clash that finished a resounding 0 – 0.

Charles’s tenure at Merthyr Tydfil lasted until 1974, when he then had a brief two – year spell taking charge of the Swansea City youth team before stepping away from club management altogether in 1976. Outside of football, Charles decided to embark on a new business venture when he ran a local pub called the New Inn in Churwell, Leeds.

When it came to business ventures, Charles’s trusting and generous nature made him an easy target for business charlatans who ended up taking advantage of him. This saw the Welshman partake in opportunities such as being part – owner of a high-end restaurant called Kings during his time in Turin and opening a sports shop called John Charles Sports in the Rhiwbeina area of Cardiff when he returned to Wales, before becoming a pub landlord in Leeds.

Unfortunately, his time as a landlord only lasted until the early 80’s because his laid – back approach led to the establishment failing to reach its full potential, resulting in Charles stepping away. As a result of all these ventures failing to turn a profit, Charles ended up losing all the fortune he accrued during his playing days and, in 1982, things got worse when he and his wife, Peggy, decided to divorce after 29 years of marriage.

A chance encounter with Mario Di Bartolomeo, owner of a Canadian football team called Hamilton Steelers, in 1987, saw Charles recruited to a new calling in the game he loved. Whilst attending the 100th-anniversary celebration of Pantofola d’Oro soccer shoes, a brand for which John Charles served as a global ambassador, Di Bartolomeo’s offered Charles the role of Technical Director at the club, which he accepted.

In this role, Charles was initially involved with the overall running of the club’s youth football clinics, located in dozens of local grade schools, as well as assisting the coaching staff for the first team. However, much like his stint at Hereford United, Charles later stepped in as the team’s head coach midway through the 1987 season, where he helped the team win the Eastern Canadian Championship and finish runners- up in the National Play – offs.

Despite a successful end to the season, Charles decided the administrative and backroom duties of running a football club were not for him, so he decided to return to England a few months later. In April 1988, Charles married his second wife, Glenda Vero, whom he had met a decade earlier when the two ran the Gomersal Park Hotel, near Batley, in another one of Charles’s post – retirement ventures. Glenda would be by Charles’s side through the good and bad times of his latter years, especially when he was imprisoned over an unpaid tax debt of £943 in 1997. This debt was later cleared by former Leeds United chairman Leslie Silver, at Glenda Charles’s request, when he paid off the debt and got Charles released.

A Giant of the Game

Whilst away from the game, the adoration and respect that Charles had garnered on and off the pitch never went away and was on full display when one of his former clubs, Leeds United, arranged a match against Everton. This game was a joint testimonial for both Charles and former Everton player Bobby Collins, who had both fallen on hard times after retiring from the game, financially. So, as a way to show their appreciation and to raise funds for both these legendary players, an impressive 13,671 fans turned up to Elland Road to watch as Leeds went on to win 3 -2. A hat-trick from Ian Rush was the deciding factor in the game, but the match was complemented by appearances from Kenny Dalglish and Michel Platini, who donned the famous white of Leeds United, as a way of showing their respect for Charles.

In 1997, the accolades continued when Charles was voted the best ever foreign player to have played for Juventus by the club’s fans, the Juventini. This symbolised the love that the city of Turin still had for its adopted son, and this was later shown again when Charles was selected as one of the inaugural 50 ex – Juventus legends to be inducted into the Juventus Hall of Fame, on the 9th September 2025, at the club’s museum.

Back home, the Welsh legend was also awarded the prestigious honour of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2001 and made honorary Vice President of the Welsh Football Association in 2002. In that same year, Charles was also granted the Freedom of the City and County of Swansea, which was special for him to be honoured by his local area.

Juventus captain, Alessandro Del Piero (left) showing his respect to John Charles (right) in 1997. Credited to www.reddit.com/r/LeedsUnited

As a mark of respect to one of the greatest players to have ever played for both clubs, on the 6th January 2002, Leeds United and Cardiff City had Charles lead both teams out at Ninian Park, when the sides met in an FA Cup tie.

In his later years, just like on the pitch, Charles was a battler, but this time it was against his deteriorating health, starting with him being diagnosed with bladder cancer in the late 1990s, when he underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Later on, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and this led to his family publicly supporting awareness for the disease.

Sadly, in the early hours of the 21st February 2004, John Charles passed away following a period of serious ill health. To honour and remember, arguably, their greatest ever player, Leeds United named their West Stand the ‘John Charles Stand’ in what was a full-circle moment, as that was the very stand that was rebuilt using the money raised from his sale to Juventus.

In the halls of football, John Charles rightly carved out his place as one of the most talented and respected men in the game, both on and off the pitch. To many, he is also seen as a true pioneer, who became one of the first British players to take his talents abroad and not only succeed, but leave a legacy that will never be forgotten.

(Thank you to Andrew Dalton for taking the time to discuss Charles’s career at Leeds United and for contributing to this piece. You can find him on X as @lufcstats and his books are available on Amazon, if you wish to learn more about Leeds United and its legendary players of the past.)