Valderrama famed for wild hair and Bake Off but helped resurrect Colombia at World Cup

But to say he is more than just a famous afro does the Colombia legend a disservice.

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To be fair, Valderrama is more of a celebrity these days, even appearing on the Colombian version of Bake Off.

But it is not his cooking or his hairstyle which earned him a 22ft statue in Santa Marta, where he became a midfield master playing barefoot on the streets.

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The 61-year-old is the most-capped outfield player in Colombia's history, featuring at five Copa Americas and three World Cups between 1985 and 1998.

And he helped inspire a golden generation for Colombian football against the backdrop of violence and tragedy.

Valderrama was the beating heart of an unforgettable World Cup team, featuring the likes of Freddy Rincon, Asprilla and scorpion-kick goalkeeper Rene Higuita.

With Valderrama pulling the strings, Colombia secured qualification for the 1990 tournament, their first appearance at a World Cup for 28 years.

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And they did not just make up the numbers.

In a football world that had become increasingly cynical, this team was different - and it was largely down to Valderrama.

His was a figurehead for 'toque' - a philosophy that predates 'tiki-taka' and translates from Spanish to 'touch' - designed to tire the opposition by moving the ball quickly, often first time.

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While often misunderstood as lazy and slow, Valderrama's tactical genius and superior ability allowed him to dictate matches without breaking a sweat.

France legend Laurent Blanc, who played alongside him at Montpellier, once said: "In the fast and furious European game, he wasn't always at his ease.

"But he was so gifted that we could give him the ball when we didn't know what else to do with it knowing he wouldn't lose it… and often he would do things that most of us only dream about."

Despite an ordinary club career outside South America, Valderrama was central to a swash-buckling Colombian style which took the 1990 World Cup by storm.

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Although a 2-0 victory over UAE was followed by a 1-0 defeat to Yugoslavia, Valderrama helped send Colombia through to the knockout stages for the first time in the nation's history with a moment of magic against West Germany.

A goal down and needing an equaliser in the second minute of injury time, Valderrama collected the ball just inside the German half and rose to the occasion.

He spun two opposition players, linked up with Rincon and Luis Fajardo, before reclaiming the ball and providing an inch-perfect reverse pass for Rincon, who sent the streets of Bogota bonkers by nutmegging the goalkeeper.

Colombia played with the spirit of a modern Manchester City before it became cool - and Valderrama was their Kevin De Bruyne.

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Despite defeat to Cameroon in the round of 16, Colombia were back, and they arrived at the next tournament as one of the favourites.

Valderrama was influential during a famous 5-0 victory over Argentina which sent Los Cafeteros to the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

However, despite the efforts of the midfielder and manager Francisco 'Pacho' Maturana to change the perception of their nation on the international stage, Colombia could not overcome its troubles at home.

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The domestic game had cartel money flowing through its veins and the national team's task was seemingly made impossible by those at home, as drug lords exercised their control.

Their campaign began in disappointing fashion with a 3-1 defeat to Romania and ahead of the USA match at the Rose Bowl, the entire team were threatened with their lives.

Andres Escobar scored an own-goal which cost Colombia their place in the knockout stages - the defender his life.

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In the early hours of July 2, as he was attempting to leave a nightclub car park in Medellin, Escobar was shot six times by known cartel members.

For all the beauty of Valderrama and his teammates, they were powerless to prevent Colombia from rearing its ugly head in a nation run by criminals.

As a 37-year-old Valderrama failed to have much influence on the 1998 World Cup in France, it became clear that his task to project a positive image onto Colombia had ultimately failed.

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They would not appear at the World Cup again until 2014, when James Rodriguez's heroics guided Colombia to the quarter-finals.

But even Rodriguez is not as fondly thought of in Colombia as Valderrama.

In fact, it was Valderrama who inspired the next golden boy of Colombian football.

"Valderrama was the one I admired most," Rodriguez said.

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"At the time, he was a top player, and I had a lot of admiration for him. I met him once, and he's a great person, someone who provided the country with a lot of joy.

"He was a very intelligent footballer who could create something out of nothing as well as score goals."

Up against a childhood of poverty and representing a broken nation who had suffered 28 years of hurt, Valderrama changed things.

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With his trademark hair and languid elegance, he almost made the impossible become a reality and moulded something beautiful from the toughest clay.

It is this context which makes that moment of class against West Germany in 1990 one of the most meaningful World Cup moments in history.