THERE are certain eras, certain World Cups, certain teams and players that stay with you for as long as you breathe air. Maybe it’s to do with our youth. Or maybe football was just better to watch back in the day.
Even though the years rush by so fast, the famous players that brought life to our summers remain trapped in their eternal youth. At least in the mind’s eye.
Salvatore Schillaci is one of those players. Those unforgettable Sicilian eyes, the cropped hair and his wonderful goals during Italia ‘90.
He was always the fearless kid from the streets of Palermo.
Never has there been an outpouring of sadness and grief for a footballer who broke Irish hearts on that balmy night in Rome 34 years ago.
The Irish never forgot ‘Toto’.
When you saw Schillaci trending on Wednesday morning, it wasn’t good news. After a two-year battle with colon cancer, the former Italy striker and World Cup hero had passed away, aged just 59.
Given his incredible form at Italia ‘90, it was him more than Roberto Baggio the Irish feared in their quarter-final in Rome.
He was razor sharp around the penalty box and he carried the strength of a bull.
And yet, Schillaci started the 1990 World Cup finals on the bench and was well down the pecking order to start for the Azzurri.
Azeglio Vicini’s squad was blessed with fantastic strikers. Gianluca Vialli was one of the first names on Italy’s team-sheet and Andrea Carnevale’s brilliant form for Napoli, ably supported by Diego Maradona, forced his way into Italy’s starting XI.
Serie A was still on a crest of a wave with the best players in the world migrating there.
Roberto Mancini was on the bench too at Italia ‘90 despite his telepathic relationship with Vialli at Sampdoria.
Aldo Serena was a clever, canny, aggressive option plying his trade with Inter Milan, while Baggio had been ripping it up with Fiorentina and was about to join Juventus after the finals.
Even though Schillaci was at Juve, he was initially deemed one of the lesser lights in Vicini’s 22-man squad and something of a wild card.
With the embarrassment of striking riches, Italy played good games in the group stages but struggled to score – until Schillaci was thrust from the bench in their opener in Rome to grab the winning goal against Austria.
Within a couple of games, Vicini had ditched starting strikers Vialli and Carnavale and put his faith in Schillaci and Baggio.
Italy were the best team at the 1990 World Cup. Rome’s Olympic Stadium was a furnace from which their players fed off.
An obdurate Uruguay finally succumbed to the hosts with Schillaci breaking their resistance midway through the second half before Serena bagged a second.
On Wednesday night, I sat and watched the World Cup quarter-final between Ireland and Italy in Rome.
Even though we believed the Irish were always punching above their weight, Jack Charlton had some brilliant players at his disposal - to the point where he could afford to play Paul McGrath in central midfield.
Mick McCarthy and Kevin Moran mightn’t have been the quickest central defensive partnership but they were cute as foxes.
Chris Morris, Kevin Sheedy, Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton, Niall Quinn and John Aldridge could all play. When you compare and contrast that era of players with today’s, Irish fans must wince at the dearth of quality.
Ireland were holding their own in the first half with Italy struggling to find any rhythm in their play.
Even the great Franco Baresi - arguably the greatest defender of all time - hit two stray passes.
Niall Quinn tested Walter Zenga’s reflexes too with a decent header - but knocking out the tournament favourites and hosts was always beyond Ireland’s wildest dreams.
When Roberto Donadoni - AC Milan’s brilliant winger - aimed a shot at Packie Bonner, the Celtic ‘keeper’s feet were all wrong.
Badly off-balance, Bonner never recovered his footing as Schillaci pounced on the rebound to skilfully side-foot the ball into the unguarded net with plenty of power.
Schillaci wheeled away in delight. The Irish were a busted flush after that, and Italy would venture deeper into the tournament.
The Italians looked unbeatable in the Olympic Stadium - but once they moved to play their semi-final against Argentina in Naples, momentum had been somehow lost.
Schillaci grabbed his sixth and final goal of those finals in Naples - a scuffed effort from close range to put Italy in front.
At that time, Maradona was a shadow of the player that played at Mexico ‘86. He still carried magic in his left boot but those powerful dribbling runs had been shorn from his game.
He’d been reduced to flicks and passes - still of a ridiculously high standard.
Despite being a declining force, Maradona produced his best display of Italia ‘90 against Italy, ably supported by Jorge Burruchaga and the fleet-footed Claudio Canniggia.
Schillaci’s goal wasn’t enough with Argentina equalising and seeing off the Italians in a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out.
Argentina and West Germany played out the final - which to this day is a pockmark on the game.
Once Lothar Matthaus lifted the trophy in Rome, Schillaci disappeared from view, never to be seen on the World Cup stage again.
He only played 16 times for his country and didn’t wear the famous Azzurri after 1991.
But that’s how it was for many World Cup heroes.
For those few weeks in the summer of 1990, Schillaci was the assassin that everyone seemed to take to their hearts.
In the mind’s eye, ‘Toto’ remains that small bull of a man, 25-years-old who enthralled everyone during Italia ‘90 and was ready to take on the world.
Even though he broke Irish hearts all those years ago, Schillaci was never forgotten here and will be remembered with great fondness and affection.
You only had to survey the heartfelt tributes upon the news of his death.
Rest in peace Toto...