Robin Friday is widely regarded as an unsung talent; a latterly-applied nickname, "the greatest footballer you never saw", was used as the title of his 1997 biography.

On his debut he introduced himself to Fulham's Bobby Moore by squeezing his testicles.

The day before he had been arrested for taking the train from Reading to Cardiff without a ticket.

In addition, Robin played in an era when football was not subject to the blanket media coverage it endures today.

The only time Reading appeared on television for example was when the local station filmed them.

He remained a hero at his clubs but hidden from the nation.

Robin walked out of Cardiff and football in the summer of 1977.

Twelve years later he was found dead of a suspected heroin overdose and hundreds of people attended his funeral.

In the year 2000 Reading fans overwhelmingly voted him their player of the century.