Sammy Nicholl, regarded as one of the best football players Malta has ever known, has died at the age of 88, his family confirmed.

The football legend won several honours during his playing career before becoming a popular football pundit when he hung up his boots.

Nicholl started his football career with Żebbuġ Rangers but will be mostly remembered for the long and distinguished career he had with Sliema Wanderers where he donned the Blues shirt 135 times between 1952 and 1964, scoring 80 goals.

With the Wanderers, Nicholl won five league titles, three FA Trophies, the Cassar Cup three times and the Scicluna Cup on six occasions.

Nicholl also formed part of the Malta national team and was picked to play for the national team in the first-ever international match against Austria, which the Austrians won 3-2 at the Empire Stadium.

The goal he scored late in that match has since gone down with letters of gold in the annals of Maltese football history.

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