Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golders

Diego Maradona has referred to himself as the “last romantic remaining” and claims he has given out over 500 roses as his form of “conquering” women.

Maradona made the revelations in an interview with the in-house media of the Mexican club he coaches, Dorados de Sinaloa.

The Argentine icon said: “I really like (music artists) Marc Anthony and Marco Antonio Solis. I’m romantic, I’m the last remaining romantic.

Pictures Credit: Golders/@Dorados

“I conquered (women) with flowers, I gifted a lot of flowers. Yellow flowers, I managed to give out 500.”

Maradona has nine recognised children, five who have been raised as his own and four in Cuba who he recently recognised he had fathered.

Speaking about why he is so affectionate with his players, Maradona said: “They are people, human beings. I made my debut at 15 years old. At 15 years old you couldn’t nutmeg a professional in that era because they would grab you by the neck. I changed that. Why can’t a youngster do it, that’s his future, how he feels as a footballer.

“I changed a lot of things in football or I think I changed them with the guys I played with, who have been representative like (Ruud) Gullit, (Marco) Van Basten, Careca.”

The 58-year-old also said of his children: “Dieguito Fernando, Diego Jr, Dalma, Giannina, Jana, they are my love when I’m going to sleep, I pray for them every night. When I wake up, I also feel that they are waking me up. They are what matters most to me.”