| Player Profile | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lucas Valeriu Ntuba Radebe |
| Nationality | South Africa |
| Date of Birth | 12th April 1969 |
| Latest Club | Leeds United |
| Latest Position | Central Defender |
History of Lucas Radebe
Lucas Radebe was born in Diepfkloof, a section in Soweto, a city near Johannesburg in South Africa.
He started playing in the amateur side ICL birds before he moved to the Kaizer Chiefs junior team and started playing as a goalkeeper, he moved higher up the field to central midfield, before he was finally converted to a central defender.
This would prove helpful as he could switch to the goalkeeper position whenever the goalkeeper was sent off in his professional career.
Lucas Radebe In South Africa
On 7 July 1992, Radebe made his national team debut in a match against Cameroon.
Impressing the coach on his debut, he was called up to the South African team that would compete in the 1996 African Cup of Nations on home soil. South Africa would go ahead to win it.
In the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Radebe was captain of the South African team, however, they failed to reach the knock-out stage, leaving the group stages after losing to hosts France and drawing with Denmark and Saudi Arabia.
In the 2002 World Cup, Radebe captained the Bafana Bafana again in their quest for the international trophy, however, they were met with the same fate as in 1998.
They left in the group stages, after drawing with Paraguay, winning over Slovenia, and losing to Spain. At the end of the group stage, they have tied at second place by 4 points with Paraguay and the same goal difference, 0.
But they lost out on goals scored, as Paraguay had 6 while they had 5.
Radebe played 70 times for the Bafana Bafana and scored 2 goals over an 11-year period and he retired in 2003.
At the end of his career, he would be called āMy heroā by South African former president Nelson Mandela on an official visit to the city of his former club Leeds United. Radebe was one of the most influential and best soccer players in South Africa.
Lucas Radebe International Career
Kaizer Chiefs
Radebe joined the Kaizer Chiefs in 1989 and started playing as a goalkeeper. After his defensive qualities were discovered he was moved to central midfield, and finally, he started playing in the central defensive position.
He was at Kaizer Chiefs for 5 seasons from 1989 – 1994 before making a move to the English Premiership side Leeds United.
Leeds United
Radebe moved to Leeds in 1994, and he enjoyed a stellar career spanning 11 years with the club. But that didnāt come without problems.
In his first 3 seasons, he was so prone to injury, that made him miss so many games. He ended up training as a goalkeeper for some parts of the 1996 campaign.
Once the goalkeeper was sent off in a heated match with arch-rivals Manchester United, and Radebe was substituted to replace the goalkeeper.
He put up a man-of-the-match performance that earned him the admiration of the club management and the fans.
He was made captain of the team for the 1998 season, and under his leadership, the team enjoyed some success. They finished fourth in the Premier League and qualified for the UEFA Europa League in the next season.
The team did one better and finished 3rd place the next season and qualified for the UEFA Champions League a year later. They played well in the competition and got to the semi-finals but lost out to the eventual runners-up, Valencia C.F.
For his performances in the UEFA Champions League and in the domestic league competition, he won the FIFA fair play award in 2000.
After the competition, he sustained injuries that kept him on the sidelines for much of the 2001 campaign.
He never regained back his starting position in the team but had impacted the team so much during his short stint as captain that he is considered a club legend.
He retired after the 2005/2006 season, after making 259 appearances for the club and scoring 3 goals. His last match was a testimonial match at the home grounds of the club, Elland Road to a stadium full of fans.
Currently, he is a team manager at Bafana Bafana.
Awards
1996: African Cup of Nations title
1989, 1991, 1992: Titleholders of the South African League with Kaizer Chiefs
| Lucas Radebe Teams | |
|---|---|
| Team | Period |
| Kaizer Chiefs | 1989 – 1994 |
| Leeds United | 1994 – 2005 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Lucas Radebe
We have come to the end of the player profile for Lucas Radebe. Here are some commonly asked questions about him.
Lucas Radebe is famous for several reasons. First is his leadership qualities, he was a captain in the clubs he played in, for Kaizer Chiefs and Leeds United. He was also captain of the South African national team, most notably in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and Mandela called him āMy heroā.
Radebe has been busy post-football career, mostly involved in the coaching team of the South African national team. He also does a bit of Ambadoorship work for Leeds United and English football in general.
Through the course of his playing career that lasted for over 16 years, Radebe only played for two clubs, that is Kaizer Chiefs in the South African League and Leeds United in the English Premier League.
Lucas Radebe has an undisclosed net worth.
Lucas Radebe was born on 12 April 1969, so currently, he is 52 years.
Lucas Radebe was born in the Diepkloof area in Soweto in South Africa
