Lucas Radebe (born 12 April 1969) is a South African former professional footballer who played as a centre back.
He began playing in South Africa with Kaizer Chiefs, before transferring to Leeds United, where he played 262 matches for the Yorkshire side.
During his spells at these clubs, he picked up the nicknames “Rhoo” and “The Chief”. He became captain of Leeds United and also of the South African national team, most notably at 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Nelson Mandela said of Radebe: “This is my hero.” He also captained Kaizer Chiefs during his time at Chiefs.
Early life
Radebe was born to Emily and Johannes Radebe in the Diepkloof section of Soweto, near Johannesburg, as one of 11 children.
He attended the local Bopasenatla Secondary School until he was 15 years old.
His parents sent him to one of the former homelands in Grade 10, Bophuthatswana, as a way to keep him safe from the violent neighbourhood of Diepkloof Zone Four in Soweto.
There he attended Ngotwane High School near Zeerust.
Club career
Kaizer Chiefs
After playing for amateur side ICL Birds in the now-defunct Bophuthatswana Soccer League, and was spotted by Patrick Ntsoelengoe who recruited him to one of South Africa’s top clubs, the Kaizer Chiefs, in 1989.
Radebe originally started his career with the Kaizer Chiefs as a goalkeeper, and then switched positions to central midfield and then finally to central defence.
Leeds United
In 1994, Radebe and another South African player, Philemon “Chippa” Masinga, moved to Leeds United for a transfer fee of £250,000.
Radebe was only included in the deal to keep Masinga happy; as it turned out, he became the more valuable investment.
Initially the move was not a success; Radebe did not agree with then Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson, and suffered injuries which prevented him for earning a regular first team place.
Radebe returned to the goalkeeper position in March 1996, replacing John Lukic in the position after he suffered an injury in the second half of a defeat to Middlesbrough.
Radebe would again play in the goalkeeper position the following month when goalkeeper Mark Beeney was sent off for handling the ball outside his area in the 17th minute against Manchester United.
Radebe was brought on as a substitute in place of Mark Ford, and despite Leeds losing 1–0, Radebe earned ‘cult-hero’ status at the club due to his performance.
However, when Wilkinson was replaced by George Graham, his career flourished and Radebe was made captain of the team for the 1998–99 season.
Whilst he was captain, Leeds enjoyed a period of relative success; in the 1998–99 season, they finished fourth in the FA Premier League, qualifying for the UEFA Cup.
During the 1999–2000 season, Leeds finished third in the Premier League and qualified for the following season’s Champions League, where they eventually reached the semi-finals.
During this time, Radebe turned down the chance to move to Manchester United, AC Milan and Roma. Alex Ferguson commented at the time, “Everyone should be interested in Lucas.”
In 2000, he was awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award.
However, in 2000 Radebe sustained serious knee and ankle injuries, which kept him out of the game for almost two years, and subsequently found it difficult to regain his form and his place in the team.
International career
Following the end of apartheid, Radebe made his debut for South African national team in their first international match on 7 July 1992 against Cameroon.
Having recently recovered from a long-term knee injury, he was a member of the South African team that won the 1996 African Cup of Nations.
Radebe was also the captain of the South African national football team during both the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. South Africa failed to reach the knockout stages on both occasions; however Radebe did get on the score sheet in 2002.
He earned 70 caps for South Africa and scored two goals during his international career, with his last match being against England on 22 May 2003.
After retiring, Radebe was influential in South Africa’s successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup. He could also be seen working as a pundit for South African television, and during ITV’s coverage of the tournament.
Personal life
In 1991, he was shot whilst driving with his brother Lazarus to buy drinks for his mother but was not critically wounded.
When Leeds United confirmed their interest in 1994, Radebe’s decision influenced in part by an incident that had taken place three years previously.
Radebe was shopping for his mother, accompanied by his brothers, one of his sisters and her baby.
While walking, they heard a gunshot, but didn’t pay it much attention because, says Radebe: “In Soweto you heard shots all the time”.
He felt a pain in his back and he was bleeding, and his left leg went limp. Radebe was rushed to hospital but nothing vital had been damaged. The bullet had entered his back and exited halfway down his thigh.
The culprit is still unknown, it is suspected that someone was hired to shoot him rather than allow him to switch clubs.
He was voted 54th in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004.
His wife Feziwe died of cancer in October 2008. In December 2008, Radebe was treated for a heart complaint after collapsing while at the gym. Radebe married his second wife at the end of 2015.
Net Worth
As one of the greatest players to ever be produced in South Africa, it is not a surprise that Lucas Radebe is loaded financially.
The Kaizer Chiefs legend is believed to have a net worth which is over R50 Million.
