ON Sunday evening, Wales reached the 2022 Fifa World Cup for the first time in 64 years after they beat Ukraine 1-0 in Cardiff.

The likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen have led Rob Page's men back to the big time in Qatar this winter, but this is a story focussed on the past.

Rewind to 1958, Wales had qualified for the World Cup in Sweden on the back of a play-off victory over Israel.

The goal-scorer that day... former Worcester City player, Ivor Allchurch MBE.

Allchurch, who is wildly known as one of the greatest to ever play for Wales, played for Worcester back in the season of 1968/69.

He won the Clubman of the Year award that campaign after making 60 appearances, scoring 14 goals.

Like some of those legendary Welsh names from the famous '58 squad, including Cliff Jones and John Charles, Allchurch is one of a handful of players to be induced as a member of the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and the English Football Hall of Fame in 1995 and 2005 respectively.

He first broke onto the scene as a 15-year-old when he signed for Swansea Town at just15.

After finishing national service in 1949, he became the youngest player in the club’s history to feature in every match of an entire campaign.

A year earlier he made his first appearance for Wales against England in a 4-2 defeat, before going on to play a further 26 consecutive appearances for his country before being selected for the World Cup.

Allchurch scored in both play-off legs against Israel to qualify for the Finals.

He then played in all five games of the tournament, scoring goals against Hungary and Mexico.

After they lost the quarter-final against eventua winners Brazil, Bobby Moore called him “one of the best inside-forwards I have ever played against” while Sir Matt Busby said he “never needed a number on his back for identification. His polish, his class could not be missed. He vies with the greatest of all time, yet he has a modesty that becomes him.” (credit: The Football History Boys) 

His performance in the red of Wales earned him a move to Newcastle United in the First Division, where he went on to score 51 goals in 154 appearances.

He would then move back across the border with Cardiff City, a club where he received the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

Allchurch won his 50th international cap to overtake Billy Meredith and make him the most capped player of all time at the time before returning to his beloved Swansea.

He ended his time with the Swans having scored 186 goals in 502 appearances overall and now has a statue outside the Liberty Stadium where he is heralded as the best Swansea has ever had.

After that was when he would play with Worcester City (pictured) before also being a player-manager of Haverfordwest County.

Allchurch died at the age of 67 in 1997 but his talent will still be seen as as one of the best players the world and Welsh football has ever produced.