Vijayan overwhelmed at sharing stage with Maradona

"I will not forget the moment and will cherish it forever. I had seen him earlier, but this time I not only saw him, but he shook hands with me and fondly hugged me," Vijayan said on his brush with the legendary Argentine at a function here today.

Vijayan, one of India's football greats, told PTI that he had seen Maradona earlier at the 2002 FIFA World Cup final in Yokohama, Japan. "But that was not from close," he said.

Maradona, who had led Argentina to World Cup triumph in 1986, and Vijayan exchanged a few passes and headers as the former took the centre stage on his brief appearance before the football-crazy Kerala fans.

"Most of us have grown up watching Maradona's exploits on television. He was my hero during my playing days and also today," Vijayan said.

Besides Vijayan, former international players including Joe Paul Anchery, Sharaf Ali and K V Dhanesh, were also present on the occasion.