A statue of Polish footballing legend Kazimierz Deyna has been unveiled in Warsaw ahead of the European Championship.

Deyna is one of Poland's most decorated footballers, having won 97 caps and scored 41 goals for the white and reds whilst he was a lieutenant in the Polish army.

A gold medal winner at the 1972 Munich Olympics (and top scorer with nine goals), he was also part of the third-placed Poland team at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, before winning the silver medal with the national side at the 1976 Olympics.

deyna

It was in 1974 that he was ranked third in the European Footballer of the Year list, behind Dutch great Johann Cruyff and West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer.

A Legia Warsaw icon, he scored almost 200 goals in nearly 500 games before he embarked on a three-year, injury-strewn stint at Manchester City. The deal cost City around £100,000, comprising machinery, tools and some cash in US dollars, and that was after the Polish army agreed to demobilise Deyna.

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  • Soccer - Poland

    Kazimierz Deyna, Poland

  • A statue dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna was unveiled in front of Legia football club stadium on June 6, 2012 in Warsaw. The ashes of Kazimierz Deyna were laid to rest in his homeland today during an emotional ceremony held just two days before Euro 2012 kicks off. AFP PHOTO / JANEK SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/GettyImages)

  • A statue dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna was unveiled in front of Legia football club stadium in Warsaw,Poland,Wednesday, June 6, 2012. The ashes of Kazimierz Deyna were laid to rest in his homeland today during an emotional ceremony held just two days before Euro 2012 kicks off.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

  • Fans of Legia football club attend a ceremony dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna in front of Legia football club stadium in Warsaw,Poland, Wednesday, June 6, 2012.The ashes of Kazimierz Deyna were laid to rest in his homeland today during an emotional ceremony held just two days before Euro 2012 kicks off.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

  • Fans of Legia football club attend a ceremony dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna in front of Legia football club stadium in Warsaw,Poland, Wednesday, June 6, 2012.The ashes of Kazimierz Deyna were laid to rest in his homeland today during an emotional ceremony held just two days before Euro 2012 kicks off.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

  • Fans of Legia football club attend a ceremony dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna in front of Legia football club stadium in Warsaw,Poland, Wednesday, June 6, 2012.The ashes of Kazimierz Deyna were laid to rest in his homeland today during an emotional ceremony held just two days before Euro 2012 kicks off.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

  • A statue dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna was unveiled in front of Legia football club stadium in Warsaw,Poland,Wednesday, June 6, 2012. The ashes of Kazimierz Deyna were laid to rest in his homeland today during an emotional ceremony held just two days before Euro 2012 kicks off.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

  • A statue dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna was unveiled in front of Legia football club stadium on June 6, 2012 in Warsaw. The ashes of Kazimierz Deyna were laid to rest in his homeland today during an emotional ceremony held just two days before Euro 2012 kicks off. AFP PHOTO / JANEK SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/GettyImages)

  • A statue dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna was unveiled in front of Legia football club stadium in Warsaw,Poland,Wednesday, June 6, 2012. The ashes of Kazimierz Deyna were laid to rest in his homeland today during an emotional ceremony held just two days before Euro 2012 kicks off.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

  • Soccer - International Friendly - Brazil v Poland - Estadio do Morumbi, Sao Paulo

    Kazimierz Deyna, Poland

He died in a car accident in San Diego, California, aged just 41 in September 1989.

deyna