Diego Maradona turns 59: Here's a look at his 5 memorable moments

Diego Maradona sat on a throne as he watched his Gimnasia de La Plata side emerge victorious against his former club Newell's Old Boys in the Argentine first division. The Argentine legend, who turned 59 on Wednesday, was given a hero’s welcome as he returned to face his former club, albeit in a managerial capacity. Maradona played a handful of games for Newell's Old Boys way back in 1993. That, however, did not stop his old club from gifting him a throne.

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Maradona signed the throne he was gifted prior to the match and went on to see his Gimnasia triumph over Newell’s Old Boys. Interestingly, Gimnasia were bottom of the table before the game. Their 4-0 win over Newell’s Old Boys means that the Rosario side have been defeated twice this season. As fans from both clubs gathered around the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa to welcome the Argentinian legend, here's a look at the five most memorable moments from Maradona's career. 

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1. Argentina 2-1 England, 1986

The 1986 World Cup quarter-final saw Argentina take on England at the Estadio Azteca stadium. Minutes after his infamous “Hand of God” goal, Maradona went on to score what will forever be known as the "Goal of the Century". The Argentine legend dribbled past half the England team and went on to score one of the best solo goals the world has ever seen. The 55-metre, 10-second run went on to secure the win for Argentina in the quarter-final. 

2. Argentina 3-2 West Germany, 1986

The 1986 World Cup was arguably Maradona's greatest. Having single-handedly (pardon the pun)) dragged Argentina past England in the quarter-final, thanks to his infamous "Hand of God" and "Goal of the Century", Maradona also went on to score a brace against Belgium in the semis. Only West Germany stood in the way of Maradona and the World Cup, so Maradona did what Maradona does best. With the game tied at 2-2, Maradona received the ball in the centre circle, and with remarkable vision, set Jorge Burruchaga up to score an 83rd-minute winner. 

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3. Napoli 3-0 Juventus, 1988/89

Having lost by two goals to Juventus in the first leg of their UEFA Cup Quarter-Final, Napoli did not look like proceeding towards the semi-final stage in the competition. Up stepped Diego Maradona. The Argentine legend dispatched a penalty after 10 minutes to put Napoli up at home. Goals from Andrea Carnevale and Alessandro Renica followed to gift Napoli a 3-0 advantage. Spoiler alert - they made it through to the semis. 

4. 1988/89 UEFA Cup Semi-Final

Having seen Napoli through a tough quarter-final against their Italian rivals Juventus, Diego Maradona's Napoli now geared up to face Bayern Munich in the semi-final. As Opus' 1984 hit 'Life is Life' played at Bayern's home ground in Munich, Maradona chose this opportunity to indulge in a, let's say, "interesting", warm-up routine. After showcasing his array of ball control and keepy-uppy skills, Maradona decided to limber up in a rather comical fashion. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, which was enough to see Napoli through to the finals. 

5. Napoli Scudetto 1990

1990 was a crucial year for Napoli. Having won the Scudetto in 1987, Napoli had Milanese revenge on their minds, as they had fallen just short of the title in their previous two seasons. 10 goals in Napoli's last 15 games of the season meant that Maradona's Napoli were a shoo-in for their second Scudetto. The Argentine great also scored a first-half brace in a crunch tie against their Italian rivals, Juventus. 

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