'Shut up, stupid' - Maradona stopped teammates questioning Hand of God goal

Maradona has heaped fresh shame on his tarnished image - by gloating about his Hand of God goal.

The Argentine ex-international notoriously used a hand to score his country's opener in the 2-1 win over England at the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico.

Former Napoli star Maradona has since battled drink and drug addictions, endured a turbulent private life and seen his name linked with organised crime.

He has now seized a new opportunity to boast about his disgraceful act against England in an interview broadcast by the Argentine FA.

Maradona leapt to punch a high cross past England keeper Peter Shilton, and Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser awarded a goal in the quarter-final at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium.

Grey-bearded Maradona is currently the coach of Gimnasia La Plata.

The 59-year-old crowed: "I needed a wall to stand on, as the English defence was like a rock. Terry Fenwick, Terry Butcher - they were all huge.

"As was Kenny Sansom, who gave me the ball. I anticipated what he was going to do with it.

"He wanted to pass back to his goalkeeper, and England were a team that never played back passes unless for the keeper to boot upfield.

"When I saw the ball go up in the air I had the idea of attacking it with both my hand and my head.

"As I fell to the turf I didn't see where the ball had gone. But look - there it is in the back of the net!

"I began yelling 'goal, goal!' My teammate Sergio Batista - that idiot Checho - asked me if I'd used my hand to score.

"I told him: 'Shut up, stupid, and hug me!' Then everyone began embracing me.

"Jorge Valdano also asked me to tell him if I'd handballed it. I said: 'I'll tell you after the game - stop busting my balls.'

"I later met the match referee, Ali Bin Nasser, several times when I was in Dubai.

"He told me his linesmen were watching the goal and neither of them spotted the handball.

"But 80,000 people in the stadium realised straight away what had happened. It wasn't just me in the wrong - everyone in the stadium was 'wrong' as well!"

Maradona's second goal in the game, when he slalomed past a string of Three Lions defenders, has been voted the Goal of the Century.

He recalled: "Fenwick tried to pull me back, but I was like a bulldozer and not even a train could have stopped me.

"Faced with Shilton I feinted, and toe-poked the ball in before Butcher fell onto my ankle.

"But by then the ball was nestling in the netting."