THE mesmeric talent of Diego Maradona was at the heart of it all when Ian Evatt's love affair with football first began.

The Argentine football great died this week following a heart attack at the age of 60.

And Evatt joined the football world in paying tribute to the World Cup winner, who scored the famous "Hand of God" goal against England in the quarter-finals in 1986.

“He was obviously a fantastic talent," said the Bolton boss.

"My first memory as a child really was going on holiday with my parents and my dad taking me into a sports shop and him buying me a Diego Maradona Argentina shirt.

"I can remember it and that was really my first memory of loving football.

"The sentiment is there from me, he’s a wonderful talented man and he’s been taken far too early.

"Hopefully everyone remembers him for all the good that did and not the bad and some of the off the pitch stuff that  plagued his career."

Maradona is widely considered to be the greatest football player of all time, but Evatt said: "I think rather than saying who's the best we should just appreciate them all.

"We're very lucky to have Maradona, Pele, Ronaldo, Messi in my career and lifespan. We should just appreciate everybody.

"It's not a matter of who's the best for me, it's just appreciating some genuine genius and he was a genius."