Lev Yashin was the greatest goalkeeper the game has produced, a Soviet colossus whose reflexes, command and presence transformed the position. Clad in black, he became known as the Black Spider for the way he seemed to reach every shot, revolutionising goalkeeping with his willingness to sweep and organise.
A one-club man at Dynamo Moscow, he remains the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or, an honour that reflected his unrivalled standing in the sport. For the Soviet Union he was a giant, guarding the goal at successive World Cups.
Dignified and authoritative, he set the template for the modern goalkeeper and is universally regarded as the finest ever to play the position.