When it came to scoring goals, he was, simply, the best, Jimmy binged on goals, making a special habit of hat-tricks. It was the same at International level, where he scored four in a game twice, as well as three trebles. A prolific natural goalscorer, deadly around the penalty area. He scored a hat-trick in a Division One match 2 months short of his 18th birthday. His goalscoring achievements included three fives, two fours and four threes, all in 1st Division league games! 

Joe Mercer described him as 'a blinking little genius'. He could pick up the ball in the centre circle and dribble past half a team before bewildering the keeper. He did it for Chelsea against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge in September 1959; in his Spurs days, Manchester United were the victims at White Hart Lane in October 1965; then it was Leicester City's turn in October 1968, Peter Shilton tasting humiliation as Jimmy paused impudently before applying the coup de grace.

Wicked intelligence, instinctive anticipation, perfect balance, magnetic control, explosive pace, supreme confidence; it seems ridiculous, unfair even, but he had the lot. Surely these traits made up for any perceived low work-rate. When the ball ran loose in half a yard of space, invariably he would be the first to move, and by the time a defender had latched on to his shirt-tails it would be too late. A supreme taker of chances, Jimmy could strike as firmly as the next man but usually he opted for precision, passing the ball into the net, his customary accuracy giving goalkeepers no chance.

Jimmy first made his mark at Chelsea. He seemed to score goals for fun, netting five times in a game on three occasions, grabbing four one Christmas morning against Portsmouth and becoming the first man to pass the century mark in league football before the age of 21. Not surprisingly there was outrage at Stamford Bridge when Jimmy was lured to Italy in the summer of 1961 for a fee of £80,000 having been promised untold riches by AC Milan. However, it was an unhappy interlude in Italy with Milan (despite scoring on his debut and netting nine goals in ten league games) and after four months of misery - he could not cope with the change in lifestyle - Jimmy joined Spurs for £99,999, Bill Nicholson refusing to pay a six-figure fee! 

He began by maintaining his tradition of scoring on his debut at every level, weighing in with a hat-trick against Blackpool. Soon Jimmy helped Spurs win the FA and Cup Winners' Cups.

Jimmy excelled for England, too, overshadowing all other strike-rates with 44 goals in 57 matches; indeed, but for the strength-sapping jaundice that cost him four months of 1965-66, he would surely not have missed the final stages of the World Cup. Eventually, in March 1970, he left for West Ham, valued at £54,000 in the deal which took Martin Peters in the opposite direction. His Upton Park days were not the happiest, and ahead lay the well-documented drink problems that threatened his very existence. 

His next career was as a television pundit with the well received 'Saint and Greavsie', on ITV with his good friend Ian St John. He is now a columnist for 'The Sun' newspaper every Saturday and you can read his articles if you follow the link at the top of the page.

With a goalscoring touch to match Roy of the Rovers and the ball skills to boot Jimmy Greaves is admitted into the Roy of the Rovers Hall of Fame.