The Black Spider

(FILES) - Goalkeeper Lev Yachine, nicknamed "the black spider", watches his teammates play during a match of the Russian national soccer team 27 May 1971 in Moscow.

Lev Yashin, the rangy, gangling man in black with the tentacular arms who unwrapped himself across the entrance to the Soviet goal for more than a decade is widely recognised as the best keeper there has ever been.

(FILES) - Russian goalkeeper Lev Yachine dives to catch the ball in front of English forward Greaves during the friendly match between England and a "Rest of the World" selection 24 October 1963 at Wembley stadium in London. England won 2-1.

With his lucky Kabala hat and lean frame he was instantly recognisable both on and on the pitch and was able to play the ball as well with his feet as with his hands, a skill he perhaps acquired during his early career as an ice-hockey goaltender with his future employers in football, Dynamo Mosow.

Olympic Gold

Following his switch from skates to studs he was quickly spotted by the national selectors, and at the 1956 Olympics he helped his country win the gold medal.

Four years later the Soviet team continued their winning ways in Paris and put Yugoslavia to the sword once again, winning the inaugural European Nations Cup 2-1 after extra time.

Goalkeeper Lev Yashin (black) from the Soviet Union boxes the ball away from an English player during the World Cup first round soccer match between the Soviet Union and England 08 June 1958 in Goteborg. The match ended in a 2-2 tie. AFP PHOTO/PRESSENBILD

Once in a while the "Iron keeper", as he was also known, did show that he may have not have had eight arms and legs after all.

Goalkeeper Lev Yashin from the Soviet Union protects himself after recovering the ball in front of German forward Uwe Seeler 25 July 1966 in Liverpool during the World Cup semifinal match between Germany and the Soviet Union. Germany reached the final with a 2-1 victory.

For example, the Soviet team was leading Colombia 4-1 in a 1962 World Cup match in Chile when Yashin did something out of the ordinary - he conceded a goal from a corner.

The mistake allowed the South Americans back into the game and the tie eventually ended in a 4-4 draw.

Already hailed as the "beginning of the fall" of Yashin, this episode preceded the Soviet World Cup campaign in England (1966), where, although impressive, the USSR were deprived of further progress by the equally gifted Portugese forward Eusebio and they finished in fourth place.

Ballon d'Or

On domestic soil Yashin continued to collect titles with his only club, Dynamo Moscow, while still attracting his fair share of international attention.

Dinamo Moscow's captain and goalkeeper Lev Yachine (L) stands next to English midfielder Bobby Charlton during the presentation of the players participating to the friendly soccer match between Dinamo Moscow and FIFA's 'Rest of the World' selection, 28 May 1971 in Moscow.

In 1963 he became the first and only goalkeeper to be awarded the European Footballer of the Year award (the Ballon d'Or), and was also invited to keep goal for the World XI team against a British XI to celebrate Stanley Matthews' testimonial in 1965.

By the 1970 World Cup tournament Yashin had been relegated to third-choice goalkeeper and on January 1 1971 he ended his long and faithful association (75 caps) with the national team after a memorable final match in which England's Bobby Charlton and Italy's Giancinto Facchetti took part.

Colonel

After more than 800 career matches Yashin, who held the rank of colonel in the Red Army, stepped down to take charge of Dynamo Moscow work in the Soviet Sports ministry.

He was awarded the prestigious Order of Lenin, the highest civilian award in the USSR and obtained a degree from the Higher Institute of the Soviet Communist Central Committee.

Sadly, in 1985 he contracted phlebitis and had to have one of his legs amputated.

More misery followed when Yashin was diagnosed with stomach cancer and he died on March 21, 1990.