Radebe Surprised By Leeds United’s New Role

Legendary South African international Lucas Radebe has expressed his pleasant surprise at being appointed as Leeds United’s first global ambassador.

Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear confirmed Radebe’s appointment as the club’s ambassador during an interview with Marawa Sports Worldwide on Tuesday.

Radebe is highly respected by everyone at the club, having played for Leeds from 1994 until the 2004/05 season when the club was relegated to the English Championship.

This appointment marks another significant recognition for the former Bafana Bafana defender, who has previously received a Doctorate from the city and has a VIP suite named in his honor at Elland Road in West Yorkshire.

“I think it is a great honour, to be honest, being the first global ambassador for such a great club,” Radebe commented on Wednesday.

“It goes beyond who I am and what I gave to the club, encompassing what the club stands for, and hopefully I embody that.

“But, to be honest, this is one of those achievements where you get recognised for contributing towards the betterment of the community, not just the football club, but the community in different households. This came as a surprise to me because there are greater players than me who were born in Leeds, and those who are still at Leeds.

“To be able to be such a great part of the club, it’s amazing.”

Radebe was an integral part of the Leeds side that achieved significant success in the early 2000s.

The 56-year-old captained the club that reached the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League in 2001, where they were defeated 3-0 on aggregate by Spanish giants Valencia. However, Radebe was sidelined due to injury during the knockout stages at that time.

Having just been appointed, Radebe, who made 260 appearances and scored three goals for Leeds, admitted that he is currently unaware of the specific responsibilities of his new role.

“At the moment, to be honest, we haven’t really met and sat down to roll out and see what my duties are,” Radebe explained.

“One of them is to represent the club globally, particularly where there are sponsors – which is most important – and where the club has significant support, to bring more support to the club and tell the story about the club and the players.”

This appointment is timely for both Radebe and Leeds, who are in high spirits after their emphatic 6-0 midweek victory over Stoke City, securing their promotion to the English Premier League next season.

Daniel Farke’s side currently sit at the top of the Championship table with 94 points after 44 matches, level on points with second-placed Burnley, who have also achieved promotion. Burnley also has a South African connection through striker Lyle Foster.