It was every child’s dream in the seventies: to rise through the ranks and play professional football for their hometown club.

But for Salvatore Schillaci, born and raised in Palermo, it remained an elusive fantasy. Yet for ‘Toto’, who died a year ago aged 59, missing out was a small price to pay.

Schillaci was the story of the 1990 World Cup, better remembered than Diego Maradona’s outbursts and that anti-climactic final won by the West Germans.

Indeed, if only for a short period, Schillaci was bigger than Calcio itself, his name evolving into a form of slang, famously remembered in Sean Paul’s 2005 hit Temperature.

In Jamaica, if you’re ‘Schillaci’, you’re amazing.

But back in Palermo, ‘Schillaci è un dio’ (Schillaci is a god).

One year after his passing, the Sicilian capital came to a standstill to commemorate its fallen hero, who lost his battle with cancer less than three months shy of his 60th birthday. And while September 18 may be a dark date for some, it is recognised by others as a chance to praise their champion.

For them, Schillaci is immortal, his story unforgettable.

“For us Palermitani, Schillaci is a legend and a great example of social redemption,” Turi, a Palermo fan explains to us in the Pallavicino area of the city. “He came from extreme poverty but was still able to become a symbol of the city.”

The Schillaci journey began at a local football academy, AMAT Palermo, run by the community for the community. Back then, in the streets behind Teatro Massimo, poles were hammered into the ground at each end, and the lines of the pitch were marked by fathers and friends. Dirt pitches and modest means were the reality, and the dream of representing SSC Palermo was almost unthinkable.

Yet, teenage gems were there to be unearthed, as evidenced by Schillaci’s shortlisting by Palermo in 1981. And with a 17-year-old Toto ready to make his debut for the senior AMAT side, Palermo, then in Serie B, tabled their 28 million Lire offer, the equivalent of £2,500 – about £11,000 today.

Unhappy with what they considered to be a lowball bid, AMAT refused. In swooped fourth division club Messina, located a couple of hours to the east, forking out 35 million Lire.

The rest is history. During a seven-year period, Schillaci transformed Messina into a solid Serie B outfit, becoming the league’s top scorer (23) in 1988-89.

His rise to greatness was then fast-tracked when glory hunters Juventus shelled out six billion Lire to bring Schillaci to Turin. Nine months later, Italy manager Azeglio Vicini gave him his first call-up with Italia 90 on the horizon.

With Andrea Carnevale and Gianluca Vialli in the squad, nobody expected Schillaci to steal the spotlight.

Yet, above the brilliance of Roberto Baggio and Lothar Matthaus, the Italian summer belonged to the boy from AMAT, as Schillaci transcended from footballer to calcio demigod with six World Cup goals.

The Palermo picciriddo (Sicilian for boy) even claimed second place in the 1990 Ballon d’Or.

For the city of Palermo, Schillaci’s legendary tale is one for the ages. While his childhood dream of playing in pink and black never materialised, the boy from AMAT would find a way to pay it forward by setting up his very own football academy.

True greats leave a lasting legacy, both on and off the field. While Schillaci scored goals for everyone but his hometown club, it was the relentless work he put in upon his return that helped pave the way forward for others like him to succeed. He may be gone, but, in the eyes of the Palermitani, ‘the Pride of Sicily’ will never die.