A footballing legend on and off the pitch, Icons Legend of the Week #8 is Arsenal goalkeeping great Bob Wilson.

Between 1963 and 1974, Wilson amassed over 300 appearances between the sticks for Arsenal and won two caps for Scotland. Despite taking an early retirement at the age of 32, a long career in coaching, broadcasting and charity work has seen him become one of Britain's most popular and respected football personalities.

Born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire in 1941, Wilson was a late starter in professional football. Until Arsenal came knocking in 1963, he was in teacher training at Loughborough College while turning out as an amateur for Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves. When he was signed by Billy Wright's Arsenal for £6,500, Wilson became the first amateur to move clubs for a transfer fee.

He arrived at Highbury as understudy to Jim Furnell, and despite making his debut in October 1963, he had to wait over four years to become the Gunners' first-choice. Manager Billy Wright was replaced by Bertie Mee, and Wilson duly won his first trophy with Arsenal during the 1969/70 campaign, when Arsenal overcame Belgians Anderlecht to claim the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was the Gunners' first piece of silverware since their 1952/53 Division One title.

Wilson was an unmovable figure in Arsenal's famous League and FA Cup double-winning 1970/71 season, during which he played every single first-team league and cup match and was named their player of the year.

1971 was also the year of Wilson's international call-up to the Scotland side. Eligibility rules had changed in 1970, allowing players to turn out for their parents' countries of origin. Wilson appeared for Scotland under Tommy Doherty against Portugal and Holland, but when Willie Ormerod took over as manager, he reverted to a Scottish-born number one, Bobby Clarke of Aberdeen, and Wilson was frozen out.

Wilson continued as Arsenal's number one until his retirement in May 1974. His involvement at the North London club was far from over, however, and after hanging up his boots he took on a coaching role. Wilson was the Gunners' goalkeeping coach for 28 years, working closely with fellow Arsenal greats Pat Jennings and David Seaman.

Wilson juggled coaching at Arsenal with a football broadcasting career, and after appearing as a pundit during the 1970 World Cup, he worked as a presenter with the BBC from 1974 to 1994 before moving to ITV. He has also devoted much of his time to charity work, and in 1999 he set up the Willow Foundation, to help people aged between 16 and 40 diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. In April 2011, Wilson, approaching 70-years-old, embarked on an incredible 500 mile 'Soccer Cycle' around every Premier League club in England. With the help of the likes of Lee Dixon, David Seaman and Les Ferdinand, the sponsored cycle raised more than £300,000 for the Willow Foundation.

A brave and supremely talented goalkeeper in his pomp, the Arsenal legend received an OBE in 2007, and remains a great authority and hugely respected commenter on the game today.

Likeable, passionate and devoted; modern football could use a few more characters like Bob Wilson.

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Have a look at our Bob Wilson collection here.

Having just completed our sixth signing session with Leo Messi, the Argentinean was an obvious choice for this week's Forward Friday. Messi signs exclusively with Icons, and you can check out his amazing new range here.

"I've run out of adjectives to describe him," confessed Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola back in March 2010. Indeed, the brilliance of Leo Messi is not easy to put into words. With every season that passes, the best player of his generation strengthens claims that he is the best of all-time, and the eulogies that cascade his way are wholly justified.

Messi is beyond hyperbole. Combining sensational speed and close control with phenomenal balance and power, he is an utterly devastating force. His technical prowess is almost superhuman. The ball can appear glued to his feet as he glides effortlessly past defenders, and when he's not smashing the ball into the net, he's expertly carving out chances for his teammates to do it for him.

FIFA Ballon d'Or winner in 2010, Messi, 24, has already helped Barcelona to five La Liga titles and three Champions League wins, including a double last season. Since he was handed the departing Ronaldinho's iconic number 10 shirt at the start of the 2008/09 season, Messi has scored an incredible 141 goals in 161 games. During that time Barcelona have claimed a hat-trick of La Liga titles.

Messi was born in the Argentinian city of Rosario on 24^th June 1987 to a factory steel worker and a part-time cleaner. His life-changing move to Barcelona came in 2000 at the age of 13. Astonished by the level of ability he demonstrated on trial in Catalonia, Barcelona's sporting director Carles Rexach hurriedly scribbled out a contract on a napkin and - several signatures later - Messi was enrolled at Barcelona's renowned La Masia youth academy.

His first-team breakthrough came under Frank Rijkaard. Having already featured in friendlies as a 16-year-old, Messi made his league debut on 16 October 2004 against RCD Espanyol. At 17 years and 114 days he became the youngest player ever to appear in a La Liga match.

It didn't take him long to break into the Argentina set up either. At the 2005 under-20 World Cup the explosive Messi fired six goals and was named the winner of the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe as Argentina emerged triumphant. That August, Argentina manager José Pékerman handed the young prodigy his senior debut in a friendly against Hungary, but within a minute of coming on as a substitute in the 63^rd minute, Messi swung an arm at a defender tugging his shirt and was sent off. It was an acrimonious start to an international career that has yet to scale the great heights he is accustomed to at club level, but at 24, Messi has time on his side.

Picking out highlights from a career bursting with glorious moments is not easy, but amid comparisons to the great Diego Maradona, April 2007 seems a good time to start. Up against Getafe in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey, Messi picked up the ball just inside his own half, and with his mop of long hair streaming behind him, he produced a carbon copy of Maradona's legendary solo goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. A few weeks later he even reproduced Maradona's infamous 'hand of God' moment when his blatant handball past Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni was allowed to stand.

"He is my Maradona", says Diego of his heir apparent. But the 'new Maradona' looks destined to overtake his idol.

Last week Icons completed its fourth private signing session with Manchester United legend Eric Cantona.

Icons travelled to Paris to meet with the mercurial Frenchman, where he signed a new range of shirts and photos for us.

Le King put his name to a replica 1996 FA Cup final shirt commemorating the May day when his solitary strike sent arch rivals Liverpool to 1-0 defeat at Wembley.

He also signed two new photographs for our Cantona range. The first shows him, arm aloft, having inspired Manchester United to a vital win over Wimbledon. Newcastle led United by 12 points and this victory began the fightback as they defied the odds to claw back the deficit.

The second is from the same season, and shows Cantona and Roy Keane celebrating Eric's sixth-minute strike against Manchester City in April that year which put United neck and neck with Kevin Keegan's Newcastle. The Geordies crumbled under pressure and Fergie's young side went on to achieve an incredible double.

Fergie had offloaded Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis in the summer leading Alan Hansen to remark famously that "You'll never win anything with kids." But a youthful team including Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville Brothers spectacularly proved him wrong.

Check out the icons shop now to buy these superb items of sporting memorabilia.

We're delighted to announce that we've completed our fourth signing session with FIFA World Player Of The Year Cristiano Ronaldo.

Icons has been working with Cristiano since May 2005 and it is only because of our close relationship with him that he continues to work with us, and no other memorabilia companies, in official signing sessions.

Cristiano invited us into his home for this session and after a lunch of squid followed by pasta we got down to work.

Cristiano signed a range of shirts for us including Manchester United home shirts with both Premiership and Champions League numbering, and a very limited edition of the blue away shirts with badges marking the 40th anniversary of the European Cup win over Benfica at Wembley.

Also now available are a range of signed photographs; lifting the Premiership, lifting the Champions League trophy, and with arm aloft after scoring the goal that put Man Utd 1-0 up against Chelsea on that incredible night in Moscow.

Another real favourite of the icons team is the photo we've called The Unstoppable Free-Kick, which shows Cristiano striking one of his trademark dead-balls. Signed in silver pen, these are going to sell out faster than, well, faster than a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick.

Our remaining stock of signed Eric Cantona shirts are now down to £99.99, reduced from £199.99. Unfortunately, due to a printing problem there is a slight pink tinge to the name and numbering, which is why these are such a bargain. Our money-back guarantee applies as always though.

Buy a signed Eric Cantona shirt here

Achievement award tonight. Charlton, 71, helped England to World Cup success in 1966 of course and then led Manchester United to European Cup glory in 1968, scoring twice in the final.

The award, which recognises Sir Bobby's 50 years dedicated to football, was presented to him by brother Jack. Charlton received a standing ovation from the 9,000-capacity audience inside the Liverpool Echo Arena. England 1966 shirts signed by ten of the winning team, including Charlton, and 1968 European Cup shirts are both available in the icons shop.

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