of play and temperament A slender and highly creative forward, with superb ball control, technical ability and dribbling skills, González was also known for his quick feet and use of tricks and feints (including the flip flap, the Cruyff Turn, and the step over), as well as his accuracy with the ball and speed in possession – however, his talent was often overshadowed by his questionable behaviour off the pitch. He was widely considered to be the greatest Salvadoran footballer of all time, as well as one of the best-ever Latin American footballers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was named his nation's Player of the Century in IFFHS' Player of the Century Elections. A versatile forward, González was capable of playing both as a winger or as a second striker, but was also deployed as a centre-forward, as a playmaker in the number 10 role or even as a midfielder on occasion, and often wore the number 11 shirt. His playing style served as an inspiration for Maradona, who was a staunch admirer of the Salvadoran, describing him as one of the ten best players he had ever seen and even stating that "[w]e, in training, always tried to imitate him [González], but we couldn't." Personal life González was born to a family of modest means in the Luz neighborhood of San Salvador, one of seven brothers and a single sister. His older brother, Mauricio González Pachín, was a footballer who became well known at the local level. Mágico married Ana María Ruano, daughter of another Salvadoran football legend, Alfredo Ruano. His son, Rodrigo, also played in the country's top division, for C.D. Atlético Marte. HonoursFAS' Salvadoran Primera División: 1977–78, 1978–79, 1981, 1994–95, 1995–96 CONCACAF Champions League: 1979 References External links Stats at Cadistas1910 Tribute website 1958 births Living people Sportspeople from San Salvador Salvadoran footballers Association football forwards C.D. FAS footballers La Liga players Segunda División players Cádiz CF players Real Valladolid players El Salvador international footballers 1982 FIFA World Cup players 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup players Salvadoran expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Spain Salvadoran expatriate sportspeople in Spain