Next Monday, Elland Road in Leeds will witness the end of an era. Lucas Radebe, the South African-born central defender who has called the city home for the past 11 years, will draw a curtain on a remarkable if injury-ridden playing career, with a testimonial match between a select Leeds XI and a World XI.
”It has gone by so fast, maybe because I was having so much fun,” he said of his decade-long spell during which he won the hearts of football lovers the world over.
The journey began in 1989 when he joined Kaizer Chiefs from the now-defunct Bophuthatswana Soccer League (Bopsol) ICL Birds. He awkwardly recalls how he was actually supposed to join Pirates but ”[Kaizer Chiefs scout] Ace Ntsolengoe acted fast”. It seems Dave Roberts, Pirates coach at the time, lacked interest.
South African football fans recall a lanky, flamboyant central midfielder who switched to central defence with ease, snuffing out any opposition threat with exquisite, acrobatic scissors kicks and diving headers, and man-marking the most lethal strikers into silence.
The turning point in his life came in mid-1994 when, along with striker and countryman Phil Masinga, he was signed by then Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson.
David Share, a lifelong Leeds fan and chairperson of Radebe’s testimonial committee, recalls seeing two young men in tracksuits peering through his jewellery shop window. Upon enquiry, he discovered the newest members of the Leeds family and since then, with Radebe at least, a firm friendship has been forged.
”The manner in which Lucas Radebe has won respect throughout the world football community is remarkable,” he says of ”The Chief”. He pays tribute to Radebe’s nature ”as a great motivator” who ”smiles when he is left out, smiles when he is substituted and smiles through his injuries”.
Injuries have been a constant cloud over his career. At Chiefs, he returned from injury to give a man-of-the-match performance against Manchester United in the now defunct United Bank Cup.
In 1996, he came from a year-long lay-off to form part of the African Nations Cup-winning side, famously remembered for his man-marking job on his then Leeds teammate Tony Yeboah of Ghana in the semifinal. He also recovered from a season-long injury to lead South Africa in the 2002 World Cup.
When he left for England, Kick Off stated that he was going ”in pursuit of excellence”. He recalls that period by noting that ”football was my life. I wanted to make sure that I succeeded.”
He saw a chance to play at Leeds and for his country as being an ”opportunity and responsibility”. In the past three years, though, he has been able to enjoy his success and go out to theatre and comedy clubs and ”enjoy the growth of Leeds into being one of the best cities in England”.
He was sidelined for much of the season that turned out to be Leeds’s best, reaching the Champions League semifinal and finishing third in the Premiership under David O’Leary.
Both O’Leary and his predecessor, George Graham, who appointed Radebe captain — and ”made me everything I am”, Radebe says — started their jobs as managers by offering Radebe contract extensions.
He has also seen the ugly side of the game, most notably racism at Leicester, Leeds’s opponents on Sunday. ”I hate playing at Leicester,” he says, ”I always get sent off there.” It was on one such occasion, while trudging off, that someone called him ”a South African kaffir”.
For his part, he has agreed to be an ambassador for Kick Racism Out of Football. Apart from his extensive charity work, he has no idea what he will do after the end of the season. He is starting his coaching badge studies in May, but having seen the touchline age men quickly, he says management ”is not his top priority”.
South Africa’s record cap holder will have a contented glow when he reflects on his international career. It took in two Nations Cups and two World Cups and ended perfectly: with a record 70th cap against England. He was the last of the players who made their international debut on July 7 1992 to retire from the national team.
Share also sees him as the last of the ”Old School”, the O’Leary generation, to leave Leeds — having played 200 games for the club over 11 years.
Additional reporting by Motlatsi Lebea