Gerd Muller can lay a strong claim to being the greatest goalscorer in the history of the game. The proof lies in these extraordinary statistics: 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich, 66 in 74 European club matches and, most astonishing of all, 68 in 62 internationals. Eleven of his goals with West Germany came during the 1972 European Championship — six in qualifying, one in the quarter-final against England and two apiece in the semi-final and final.

The two that saw off the Soviet Union in Brussels and brought West Germany their maiden European title were classic goals. Second to Franz Beckenbauer in the 1972 Ballon d’Or, Muller had taken the prestigious prize himself two years earlier after scoring ten goals at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. He added four more at the 1974 tournament, including the winner in the final against the Netherlands in Bayern’s Olympiastadion. It was the last goal he would score for his country, his retirement from international football “for personal reasons” being announced shortly afterwards. He was only 28 at the time.