But he also another side. One that came through when the Argentine legend rang a TV show the then Socceroos captain Paul Wade was on.

Maradona had led Wade a merry dance in the first leg of a World Cup qualifier at the Sydney Football Stadium back in 1993.

But he wanted to let the Aussies know that while he was determined to knock them out, their time would come. Some day.

And the little master was right - although it took another 12 years before Australia would make it to the World Cup finals.

The Socceroos had done well to be 1-all after the first leg, but had a daunting trip to Buenos Aires to come.

What happened next will always be a fond memory for Wade following Maradona's death from a heart attack aged 60 on Wednesday.

Wade said it was a sad day, but given Maradona's lifestyle maybe the soccer genius had done well to live that long - the former Argentinian captain and coach had well known battles with drug addiction, and struggles with his health.

"After the game we went to a TV station ... and I was answering questions, and the next minute they said, 'Maradona's on the phone'," the former Canberra Cosmos midfielder said.

"Maradona rang up specifically to say to me to pass on to all the players that, 'Today you will feel tears of sorrow, but you will feel tears of joy sometime soon'.

"So he had a compassionate side. He knows how close his team was taken to the edge and he just wanted to show his appreciation.

"Drugs, being overweight, whatever you like, but he had a human side to him as well."

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But that memory was not as fond as his first glimpse of the great man that night at Sydney Football Stadium.

That night where Australia held hope they could cause on upset of a star-studded Argentina.

Wade was determined not to allow any psychological cracks to appear in his own facade as he stood in the tunnel.

Waiting for the Argentinians to join them. The sounds of their studs coming slowly closer.

He was doing so well. Then he opened his mouth.

"I remember standing in the Sydney Football Stadium waiting to go out there," Wade recalled.

"And you could hear the studs coming down the concrete and then there he was.

"And I looked out of the corner of my eye and I'm thinking, 'How small is he. Wow.' And that's the greatest player to ever play the game.

"Then I thought, 'Don't look at him, you're supposed to be tough'. So I didn't look at him.

"But I did eventually turn to him and say, 'Happy Birthday Diego'."

While Wade spent those two games trying to keep up with the genius - and got his jersey after the game - it was another 90 minutes that the Australian felt perfectly encapsulated the complexities of Diego Maradona.

If you're English, it's probably best you look away now. Before we go back to the 1986 World Cup.

Maradona struck two daggers through England hearts in the quarter-finals.

One will be remembered for it's brilliance. Although it's overshadowed by the other - the infamous "Hand of God" as it's become known. All in the space of four minutes.

Firstly, Maradona punched the ball in the back of the net to earn the ire of England for eternity.

And then he waltzed around their entire team, having started in his own half, before slotting away the winner.

"He cheated, but he said in an interview, 'I was being creative. It's the referee's job to know the rules'," Wade said.

"Then he went and scored against England in the same game one of the greatest goals ever, where he beat the England national team and some of them he beat twice.

"So in the space of 90 minutes he scored the greatest goal ever and [was] the biggest cheat ever.

"That's how confusing his life was at times."