Paul McGrath 'so sad' to hear of Toto Schillaci's death as Ireland legend pays tribute

Legendary Ireland defender McGrath looked on helplessly as Schillaci scored the only goal in Italy's quarter-final victory over the Boys in Green at the 1990 World Cup

Paul McGrath has paid tribute to Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci following the former Italy star's death at the age of 59.

Legendary Ireland defender McGrath looked on helplessly as Schillaci scored the only goal in Italy's quarter-final victory over the Boys in Green at the 1990 World Cup.

Schillaci famously claimed the Golden Boot at the tournament held in his home country, netting six goals throughout the tournament, with Italy beating England in a play-off to claim third place as West Germany beat Argentina in the final.

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Sharing a photo of Schillaci on social media, McGrath wrote: "So sad to hear the passing of Italy’s Toto Schillaci, what a player and goal scorer. RIP #respect."

The death of the former Messina, Juventus and Inter Milan forward, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022, was confirmed on Wednesday morning by the Italian football federation.

Fears about his health were sparked last week after he was admitted to the Civico hospital in Palermo after reportedly suffering from pneumonia.

His family previously confirmed that he was in a stable condition but unfortunately, Schillaci has since passed away. The news has triggered an outpouring of grief across Italy, with tributes pouring in for the former striker.

His former club Juventus had a simple tribute to their former star. Sharing a picture of him in their shirt, a tweet simply read: "Ciao Toto."

Inter Milan also followed suit with their own message. It read: "He made an entire nation dream during the Magic Nights of Italia '90. FC Internazionale Milano gathers around the Schillaci family for the passing of Toto." The Italian National Team shared their own message. "Ciao Toto," it read. "Hero of the Magic Nights."

Schillaci was an icon of Italian football having represented Juventus, Inter Milan and the Italian national team. He scored 37 goals across 120 appearances in Serie A, while he also won the UEFA Cup twice.

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