Olaf Thon was a creative and versatile German midfielder who first shone as a teenage prodigy at Schalke 04. Intelligent and technically gifted, he could dictate play or drop into defence, and he later won honours with Bayern Munich.
A World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990, he returned to Schalke to help the club to a celebrated UEFA Cup triumph, cementing his status as one of the most beloved figures in its history.