While we can’t even dream of surpassing Gigi Buffon’s gushing tribute to Francesco Totti on his 20th year in the game, Pies have cobbled together a humble tribute to the granite-jawed, inexplicably handsome Roma legend in the shape of a dozen of his finest stills from the archives…
Totti makes an early appearance for Roma, aged 19, 1995
Totti on Italy U21 duty against England, 1997
Totti strides through the Lazio midfield during the first Derby della Capitale of the 1998/99 season
Totti celebrates after scoring the only goal of the game against Newcastle in the UEFA Cup third round, 1999
Totti celebrates after tucking away his penalty past Holland goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar in the Euro 2000 semi-final
Il Capitano models Roma’s new strip for the 2005/06 season
Totti celebrates his goal against Livorno with a now-trademark thumb suck in a nod to his newborn son, Cristian, in 2006
Totti holds the World Cup aloft in front of an adoring, partisan crowd gathered at the Circus Maximus in Rome, 2006
That famous No. 10 jersey
Intrepid Roma supporters lean over the plexiglass at the Olympic Stadium hoping to catch Totti’s jersey at the end of an Italian Cup game against Torino, 2008
Totti is caught in the deluge during Roma’s rather damp and latterly postponed Serie A tie with Sampdoria, 2008
Totti sucks his thumb once again after scoring from the penalty spot against Genoa earlier in this season
While we’re on the subject, here’s a highlight reel of Il Gladiatore’s best bits…
And here he is trying to talk Americano…
And here’s a classic clip of Totti and Alessandro Del Piero losing it while chatting about something or other…