John Charles scored 15 goals in 38 games for Wales

John Charles, who made the top grade with both British and Italian clubs, said Wales would be "murdered" if they sat back and defended in the international in Milan on 6 September.

Mr Charles made his call to arms at the launch of his autobiography - King John - at the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth.

The book recalls a vanished era of football and also highlights what happens to sporting stars once the spotlight fades.

They've got to attack the Italians. If they sit back and defend then the Italians will murder them John Charles

John Charles' story also includes his ordeal over going to prison for bad debts, his fight against cancer and the creeping illness of Alzheimer's.

"If the Welsh team go to Milan thinking they can win then I believe they can pull it off," said Mr Charles at the launch.

Record fee

"They've got to attack the Italians. If they sit back and defend then the Italians will murder them."

Former England star Sir Bobby Charlton believes that if John Charles were playing today he would be worth �70m.

"It's amazing that Sir Bobby said that, but when I was sold to Juventus from Leeds United it was a record fee of �65,000." he said.

Born in 1931, John Charles was signed by Leeds United as a 15-year-old and made his Wales debut in 1950 at the age of 18.

John Charles believes Wales can beat Italy next week

Charles, 6ft 2ins and almost 14 stone, soon established himself as a bustling centre-forward with incredible agility.

He was the First Division's top marksman in 1957 with 38 goals, and signed for Juventus that August.

During his five years in northern Italy, the Turin club won three championships and two Italian cups, with Charles scoring a remarkable 93 goals in 155 games.

Asked how he unlocked the famously tight Italian defences, "Il Bon Gigante" or Gentle Giant, said: " I scored so many goals because Italians are so small and I am quite tall.

"It was so easy I didn't even have to jump to head the ball."

After a brief return to Leeds he went back to Italy, playing for Roma, but his pace had gone and he returned to Wales to play for Cardiff City in 1963.

Craig Bellamy celebrates Wales' 2-1 win over Italy in October

A member of the only Welsh team to qualify for a World Cup finals, in 1958, he was awarded the CBE in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Greatest ever

He was recently voted the greatest ever foreign player in the Italian league, beating the likes of Maradona, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane.

He has had to cope with two serious illnesses over the last few years: he was diagnosed with blood cancer and in 1997 had a tumour removed from his bladder.

After several years of chemotherapy he has been in remission for the last two years.

He has also had to cope with Alzheimer's, which has not affected his long-term memory yet.

"If Wales qualify for the European Championship finals in Portugal next year then I will definitely be going to support them," he said.

Sion Jobbins, the National Library's marketing officer, said it was a great honour to have such a prominent figure in Wales' social life launching his autobiography at the Aberystwyth-based institution.

There are plans to set up an exhibition marking John Charles' career at the library next year.