In Italy he is a sporting legend and the man who defined the role of a football manager, but former Warwick man William Garbutt is almost unknown in his home country.
Now writer Paul Edgerton is hoping his book
William Garbutt The Father of Italian Football will give the pioneering coach the fame he deserves.
A former English professional, Garbutt led teams in Italy and Spain to many glories from 1912 to the 1940s and Italian footballers still call their coaches Mister, the name his players at Genoa gave him.
Mr Edgerton said: "Garbutt revolutionised Italian football.
"He is still considered a sporting legend in Italy and yet his own countrymen are sadly unaware of his exploits."
The Halesowen man first heard about 'Willy' Garbutt's exploits in a book about Italian football. Curiosity soon became an obsession, leading to interviews with Italian football historians and Garbutt's adopted daughter Maria.
Born in Stockport in 1883, Garbutt played for a regimental side before signing for Reading. He moved to Woolwich Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers before an injury in 1911 ended his playing career.
He was offered the chance to coach Genoa Cricket & Football Club. Joining them in 1912 aged 29, he became the first professional football coach in Italy, winning three championships with Genoa, and also serving with the British Army at the Somme and Passchendaele.
Drilling his teams in physical fitness and tactics, his post-war successes include a trophy for newly formed AS Roma in 1927, leading Napoli to third place in Serie A, and helping manager Vittorio Pozzo prepare the Italian side for the 1924 Olympics.
In 1935 he coached Athletic Bilbao in Spain, winning La Liga before returning to Italy to coach AC Milan following the outbreak of the civil war.
He remained in Italy during the Second World War, having adopted an Italian girl. The family were interned and had to hide from the invading Nazis.
In 1943, Garbutt's wife was killed in an American bombing raid, a blow from which he never recovered.
After the war he returned to Genoa, but came to England in 1948, moving to Leamington, the home of his wife's sister, in 1951. He died in Priory Road, Warwick, in 1964, almost unknown.
Mr Edgerton said: "He is still renowned in Italy as a sporting icon.
"He deserves much wider recognition."
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