It is a great shame that Pavel Nedved never played in England for a season or two during his career.
The former Lazio and Juventus playmaker was wonderfully creative attacking midfielder and as his nickname, the Czech cannon, attests to the thunderous shot he had to go with his sublime skill and vision.
Whenever I say Nedved I always thought that he had a funny hair cut and there was something quite endearing about that but he was always a joy to watch. He won numerous accolades during his time at Lazio and Juventus, making over 100 appearances for each of the Italian clubs.
Many a Juventus fan will tell you that one of the main reasons that they were unable to win the 2003 Champions League final was due to the absence of the little Czech as a result of accumulating too many yellow cards.
The same year he led Juvetus to a Scudetto and was named not only Italian Footballer of the Year but also World Footballer of Year.
Here is a good a time as any to remind ourselves of some of Nedved’s best moments and also to observe that cannon of a left foot he had with this video of his top ten goals. Top quality.