Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame footballer Clyde Best was among those paying tribute yesterday to Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia.Chinaglia died of complications from a heart attack at his home in Naples, Florida yesterday at age 65.Best played with and against Chinaglia in the 1970s.The controversial footballer was born in Carrara, Tuscany in 1947 but moved to Cardiff, Wales with his family eight years later because of unemployment in Italy following the Second World War.He joined Swansea Town as an apprentice at age 13 and made his senior debut for the club against Rotherham United in 1964.He returned to Italy two years later where he had playing stints with Massese, Internapoli and Lazio.After scoring 98 goals in 209 appearances for Lazio and appearing in two FIFA World Cup finals for the Azzurri, Chinaglia joined up with legends Pele and Franz Beckenbauer at New York Cosmos in the former North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1976.The prolific goalscorer won four league titles with Cosmos and retired in 1983 as the NASL’s all-time leading scorer with 243 goals.During his spell with the Cosmos Chinaglia played against Bermudian striker Best who was with Tampa Bay Rowdies at the time.“Giorgio was just a nice guy and I played against him many of times for Tampa Bay and we had some wonderful battles on the field,” Best recalled. “Giorgio liked to win and hated to lose.“He was a fantastic striker and a great goalscorer. He let you know how he felt, but he was a nice person.”During an international friendly in 1973 Chinaglia set up the goal that gave Italy its first win against England at the old Wembley Stadium. The Italian beat Best’s former West Ham team-mate Bobby Moore and sent in a cross that was tapped in by future England manager Fabio Capello.Best added: “Giorgio could do it all, he was one of those people that could anticipate scoring goals. If you put the ball into the box nine times out of ten he would stick it in. He had a wonderful knack for goal and was able to score large amount of goals.”Best had the rare opportunity to play with the late footballer on a tour of Japan with the New York Cosmos.“I remember being on tour with the Cosmos to Japan and Giorgio was there, we had a wonderful time,” he said. “They (Cosmos) invited me to tour Japan with them back in the 1970s while I was playing for Tampa Bay Rowdies at the time. They took a world tour that finished in Japan.“Giorgio was a great person and my prayers go out to him and his family.”The US Soccer Hall of Famer and “The Football Show” host had resided in the United States since facing accusations in Rome of involvement in an organised crime group that allegedly tried to buy Lazio in 2006.Chinagila’a international career ended in controversy at the 1974 World Cup. In a group match against Haiti the Italian striker cursed and made obscene gestures at head coach Ferrucio Valcareggi after being substituted and was later ostracised by his team-mates and media.