(William) John Charles - Ability

Footballer, born in Swansea, SC Wales, UK. He joined Leeds United Football Club in 1949 at the age of 17, and gained his first cap for Wales the next year as the youngest-ever Welsh full cap (18 years, 71 days). He was top scorer in the league for Leeds in 1953–4 with 42 goals, still a club record. In 1957 he made history as the first British player to sign for a foreign club when he transferred to Italy's Juventus for a then British record £65 000. With Juventus he scored 93 goals in 155 appearances and his honours included three Serie A championships (1958, 1960–1) and the Italian Cup (1959, 1960). He returned briefly to Leeds (1962), had a season with Roma (1962–3), and ended his playing career at Cardiff City (1963–6). He gained a total of 38 caps and was never booked or sent off.

John Charles, CBE (27 December 1931 – 21 February 2004) was a Welsh football player.

John Charles was born in Swansea and joined Leeds United at the age of 17, for whom he scored 150 goals in eight years, including 42 goals in the 1953-54 season. The transfer was notable as Charles became the first British professional player to be signed for an overseas team. In his five years at Juventus he scored 93 goals in 155 matches, winning the scudetto (Italian league championship) three times, and the Italian Cup twice. The respect Charles earned from Juventus fans was shown when they voted him to be the best-ever foreign player to play for their team.

Following his time at Juventus F.C., he returned to Leeds United, and also played for A.S.

John Charles first played for the Wales national team shortly after his 18th birthday and was the heart of the side which made it to the quarter finals of the 1958 Football World Cup (the country's only appearance in the World Cup), but was defeated 1-0 by eventual winners Brazil (a goal by the emerging Pelé) in his absence due to injury.

Following his retirement, he ran a pub in Yorkshire for many years. In 2002 he was made a vice-president of the Football Association of Wales, and in 2003, he was granted the freedom of the city of Swansea. There was a campaign to knight John Charles, but, in the end, this never happened resulting only in a CBE. Charles became an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. The West Stand of the Elland Road Stadium is named "The John Charles Stand" in his honour for the great service he provided to Leeds United and a bust has been created, financed by Leeds United Chairman Ken Bates, to be displayed in the entrance to the banqueting suite (attached to the back of The John Charles Stand) in his remembrance

He remained greatly honoured in both Britain and Italy.

John had a brother, Mel Charles and a nephew Jeremy Charles, who also represented Wales.

On the 29th November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Wales by the Football Association of Wales as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.

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