Lucas: From the Street of Soweto to Soccer Superstar

By Richard Coomber

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The South African international so captured the hearts of Leeds fans that they still chant his name years after he retired and the Kaiser Chiefs band took their name from his first club. In his native land he is an iconic figure, who led his country to two World Cups as they emerged from the sporting wilderness and whose reputation as a player and a man helped convince the rest of the world that the World Cup finals should go to South Africa.

The kid who was rescued from the violence of the anti-apartheid struggle in Soweto when his parents sent him away from home for fear he would end up in gaol or even dead, received the ultimate accolade when Nelson Mandela declared: 'He is my hero. '

This is the story of how Lucas overcame a tough childhood, survived a shooting, and refused to be diverted from his destiny by injury, homesickness, freezing English winters and terrible English food to become not only a football superstar but acknowledged as one of the nicest people in the game. Lucas Radebe's story is much more than just another biography of a footballer. It is inspiring and heart-warming, tinged with tragedy yet marked throughout by his trademark smile that has lit up two continents and touched thousands of lives.

PUBLICATION AUGUST 2010

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Four Four Four Two Magazine, October 2010

“A compelling insight into a Leeds legend.”
Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph

“Takes the reader through a dramatic period in the history of Leeds United but even more fascinating is the insight it provides into Radebe’s personal journey.”
Simon Hart, The Independent on Sunday

“An absorbing and compelling account of his inspirational story.”
Anthony Clavane, Sunday Mirror

“A fitting tribute to a man who is every inch a Leeds United legend.”
Richard Sutcliffe, Yorkshire Post