Kazimierz Deyna

Kazimierz Deyna (; 23 October 1947 – 1 September 1989) Throughout his career he played for such clubs as Legia Warsaw, Manchester City and San Diego Sockers.

At the international level, he earned 97 caps and scored 41 goals helping Poland claim 3rd place at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. At the 1972 Summer Olympics, he won gold with Poland and was the top goalscorer of the tournament. From 1973 to 1978, he served as captain of the national representation. In 1976, he won silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

In 1973 and 1974, he won the Polish Footballer of the Year Award. In 1974, he claimed third place in the Ballon d'Or. He was named "the greatest Polish footballer of the 20th century" by the Piłka Nożna football weekly.

Early life Deyna was born in Starogard to Franciszek (1911–1976), a dairy worker, and Jadwiga (1917–1981), a housewife. He had six sisters and two brothers, Henryk and Franciszek, who also were footballers. Henryk played for Włókniarz Starogard Gdański, while Franciszek was a Starogardzki KS player.

Club career

Legia Warsaw Deyna began playing youth football in 1958 at his local club Włókniarz Starogard Gdański. In 1966 he made one appearance for ŁKS Łódź (on 8 October in a 0–0 draw against Górnik Zabrze). But he was quickly snapped up by Legia Warsaw. In communist Poland each team had its own "sponsor". The Warsaw club was much more powerful as it was the military club. Moreover, it was the favourite club of the authorities. Deyna was called up into the army and in this way he had to play for Legia Warsaw. He made a name for himself during his first season, becoming one of Legia's most important players. In 1969 and 1970 his team won the Polish Championship. After his performances at the 1974 World Cup, European top teams like AS Saint-Étienne, AS Monaco, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich tried to acquire his services but he was unable to join, since the communist regime in Poland prevented him from moving to Western Europe. Real Madrid was so determined to acquire Deyna that they sent a shirt to Warsaw with his name and number "14".

Manchester City Soon afterwards Deyna was transferred to English club Manchester City, making his debut in November 1978, and being one of the first wave of overseas players to play in the English league. Deyna scored thirteen goals in his time with the club. Furthermore, his seven goals in the last eight games of the 1978–79 season were crucial for Manchester City in their relegation battle.

San Diego Sockers

Deyna appeared in the 1981 film Escape to Victory as Paul Wolcheck. In the same year, he emigrated to the United States, where he signed with the San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League in January 1981. During the next seven years, he played four NASL outdoor seasons, one NASL indoor season and five Major Indoor Soccer League seasons with the Sockers, winning five championships. The Sockers released him in June 1987. He was a 1983 NASL Second Team All Star.

International career

On 24 April 1968, Deyna made his debut for the Poland national team in a match against Turkey in Chorzów. He won the gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and the bronze in Football World Cup 1974, after a match against Brazil. In 1972, he was also the Top Goalscorer of the Olympic Games, with a total of nine goals.

In 1976 Summer Olympics his team yet again reached the finals and won the silver medal. ) occasions, scoring 41 goals, and often captained the side. He had the ability to score from unusual positions, for example directly from a corner. Because of his achievements and talents, he was chosen Football Player of the Year several times by Polish fans. In 1978, he captained Poland at the Football World Cup in Argentina, where the team reached the second phase.

Death

Deyna died in a car accident in San Diego, California on 1 September 1989, aged 41 (just two days before another fatal car accident claimed the life of another international football star, the Italian Gaetano Scirea, which coincidentally happened in Poland). In 1994, he was chosen by the Polish Football Association (PZPN) and the readers of all Polish sports-related newspapers as the Greatest Polish Football Player of All Time. His number 10 is retired by Legia Warsaw and the Sockers. In June 2012 Kazimierz Deyna's remains were exhumed and reburied in Warsaw's Powązki Military Cemetery.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Deyna goal.

Honours

Legia Warsaw Ekstraklasa: 1968–69, 1969–70 Polish Cup: 1972–73

Poland Sport Ideal European XI: 1972, 1973 Piłka Nożna Polish Footballer of the Year: 1973, 1974 ADN Eastern European Footballer of the Season: 1973, 1974 Ballon d'Or third place: 1974; FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1974 World XI: 1974 Polish Football Association National Team of the Century: 1919–2019

National Gold Cross of Merit: 1972 Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta: 1974 Polish Olympic Committee Gold Medal: 2012 (posthumously)