Lucas Radebe

19 Aug 2000: Lucas Radebe of Leeds United heads away from Francis Jeffers of Everton during the FA Carling Premiership match at Elland Road in Leeds, England. Leeds won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Michael Steele /Allsport

Premier League pays tribute to Bafana and Leeds United legend Lucas Radebe

he English Premier League’s official account released a tribute video of Bafana Bafana and Leeds United legend Lucas Radebe over the weekend.

Lucas Radebe

19 Aug 2000: Lucas Radebe of Leeds United heads away from Francis Jeffers of Everton during the FA Carling Premiership match at Elland Road in Leeds, England. Leeds won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Michael Steele /Allsport

The English Premier League’s official account released a tribute video of Bafana Bafana and Leeds United legend Lucas Radebe over the weekend. 

This past weekend marked 27 years since Radebe signed for the Leeds in the in the English Premier League from boyhood club Kaizer Chiefs. 

27 years to the day

September five was the day Radebe would sign those papers at Leeds and begin his journey at Elland Road, for the prestigious English Premiership side. “Roo” as he was affectionately known as in football circles, had arrived at the club alongside Bafana Bafana teammate and striker the late Phil Masinga. 

Ironically the story goes, it was in fact Masinga who the Leeds hierarchy had the greater expectations on to succeed at the club, but the hitman would fail to fire and would soon leave the English Premier League side before he left them after an unconvincing spell. 

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Radebe on the other hand, overcame adversity and a whole heap of injuries to eventually earn his opportunity at Leeds, and after quickly impressing, then club manager George Graham. The commanding centre back would then go on to become a key component of the “Whites” back line and would eventually earn so much trust from Graham, he made him his captain. 

Radebe became a Leeds legend

After a distinguished 11 year spell at the Leeds, Radebe would go on to play 256 games for the club and after staving off advances of a Manchester United transfer interest from Sir Alex Ferguson himself, would leave Yorkshire a club legend. 

He left a legacy beyond the club

Earlier this year, Radebe was celebrated with a mural painting by Leeds United fans in the same street he used to call “home” during his time at Leeds. That act in itself, further illustrating how much of an impact the South African made during his time in Yorkshire. Part of the legacy he left behind was the amount of adults who admitted to having their children named Lucas after his first name. 

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Radebe also has a beer named after him, a bus as well as a bus in Leeds. He is also the motivation behind the name of the popular band Kaiser Chiefs. 

Here is the video courtesy of the English Premier League’s official Twitter account.