A BOOK celebrating the life of a Welsh international who played for Pwllheli has been launched.

The Prince of Centre-Halves: The Life of Thomas George ‘T.G.’ Jones, by Rob Sawyer chronicles the life of the man dubbed “the Uncrowned Prince of Wales”, who played for and managed Pwllheli FC at the end of an illustrious playing career in English top flight football.

In 1948, AS Roma launched an audacious bid to make him one of the first foreigners to play in Serie A.

Jones, who was dubbed The Prince of Centre-Halves by his adoring fans, bestrode the First Division in an age of uncompromising defensive ‘stoppers’.

A forerunner of football immortals like Bobby Moore and Franz Beckenbauer, he was, according to Dixie Dean, ‘the best all-round player’ he had ever seen.

The Eternal City seemed a fitting stage for this most stylish of players.

And yet the move faltered at the 11th hour and Jones returned to Everton, where, unappreciated by the club’s management, his playing career petered out to a disappointing conclusion.

After leaving Everton in 1950, Jones played non league football for Pwllheli and became their part-time manager. He also ran a hotel.

Jones died in 2004.

A decade later his countryman John Charles found adulation in Italy as Il Gigante Buono and Jones was forever left pondering what might have been.

In this, Jones’s centenary year, author Rob Sawyer, uncovers the true story of this enigmatic football legend.

Utilising a mixture of archive material and interviews with those who knew Jones and saw him play, Sawyer paints a compelling picture of a brilliant footballer and outspoken and complicated man.

Rebel, pioneer and football genius, this is the definitive story of one of the game’s forgotten heroes.

See this week’s north editions for the full story, in shops and online now