THE life and career of Wales' greatest footballer was celebrated in an exhibition which opened at Newport Centre yesterday before touring the rest of the UK and Italy.

Legend John Charles, who scored 15 times in 38 games for Wales and played with distinction for Leeds United, Juve-ntus, Roma, Cardiff and Hereford, died in February last year aged 72.

Now his achievements - Charles was recently voted 17th-best European footballer of all time by a national radio station poll - are remembered in The Gentle Giant.

The exhibition lovingly documents the spirit in which Charles, who was never sent off or booked during his career, played the game.

Charles joined Leeds when he was only 17, scoring more than 150 goals in eight years, including 42 in the 1953-4 season.

He moved to Italian giants Juventus for a then record fee of £67,000 in 1957, and scored 93 goals in 155 matches, but was equally adept as a centre-half as he was a centre-forward.

Charles' widow, Glenda Charles, opened the exhibition at Newport Centre, and said: "This hasn't been easy for me, in fact it's been a difficult year, but I'm so happy John is being carried on in this way, I miss him terribly.

"He would have thought this exhibition a wonderful thing, but I doubt he would have understood the reasons for it. John played football, not because it was his job, but because it was the thing he liked to do the most."

Phil Cope, director of the Gentle Giant Trust and creator of the exhibition, said: "The exhibition has already been to Wrexham and Aberystwyth, but not in full.

"This is the biggie because we have such a big venue." The Gentle Giant exhibition is open noon-8pm every day from today until June 26.