Jean-Pierre Papin was a spectacular French striker whose acrobatic volleys became so celebrated that they earned their own name. The focal point of the great Marseille side of the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was a relentless goalscorer who repeatedly topped the French scoring charts.
In 1991 he was crowned European Footballer of the Year, a rare honour for a player at a French club. A regular for the national team, he combined explosive finishing with a taste for the spectacular that made him one of the era’s most thrilling forwards.