Grzegorz Lato

Clubs: KS Stal Mielec, KSC Lokeren, CF Atlante

• One of Poland's all-time greats, gifted right winger Lato learnt the ropes at Stal Mielec, where he helped capture the Polish title in 1972/73 and 1975/76; he also topped the league scoring charts in 1972/73 and 1974/75.

• Made his international debut against West Germany in 1971 and was a member of the squad that won Olympic gold in Munich a year later; became a fixture in the senior national team after impressing coach Kazimierz Górski on a North American tour in 1973.

• Finished top scorer at the 1974 FIFA World Cup with seven goals, including a famous third-place play-off winner against Brazil; that feat inspired a Polish company to present him with a crown featuring seven crystal balls, one for each goal.

• Collected silver at the 1976 Olympic Games and was heavily involved again as Poland finish third at the 1982 World Cup, those efforts helping earn him the Order of Polonia Restituta – one of the country's highest civil distinctions.

• First moved abroad in 1980 to join Belgian outfit Lokeren; two years later signed for Atlante in Mexico and claimed the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1982/83.

• Won his 100th cap in his last outing for Poland in a friendly against Belgium in April 1984 – setting a national record that stood until Michał Żewłakow surpassed his mark in 2010.

• A member of the Polish senate from 2001 to 2005, he became Polish Football Federation (PZPN) president in 2008, overseeing preparations for co-hosting UEFA EURO 2012.