Nigel Martyn has opened up on the full extent of Lucas Radebe’s sacrifice for Leeds United as he revealed the extent of suffering the South African went through at the club.
Lucas Radebe is Leeds’ most capped international player, having joined the club under Howard Wilkinson and establishing himself as a firm fan favourite.
Although Radebe played an important role in the Leeds side under David O’Leary, his later years at the club were disrupted by a succession of serious injuries, which limited his involvement.
Having been reunited ahead of Leeds’ defeat against Tottenham, former England international Nigel Martyn explained just how much pain Radebe was in during his final years with the club, playing through the pain barrier to help his team.
Nigel Martyn praises ‘absolute legend’ Lucas Radebe
Speaking on LUTV in the build-up to the game against Tottenham, Radebe was full of praise for Martyn, hailing his impact on Leeds’ success in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
According to Radebe, the Leeds defence had a large amount of trust in their goalkeeper, stating: “He was a great goalkeeper for us. We trusted him, relied on him.
“I know we didn’t expose him that much, but when it happened, he was there to lift us up, which is amazing. He was England’s number one for a period of time. That’s the quality that was in that team.”
Asked what Radebe’s words meant to him, Martyn returned the compliment, explaining what made Radebe such a respected figure at the club. He said: “It’s lovely. I mean, it’s a two-way street because he’s an absolute legend.
“He was going out and playing when, I remember the physio saying to me, lots of other players wouldn’t be playing with the pain that he was going through with his knees and things.
“And his bravery going out there and playing every single week for us was just incredible. So he gains everybody’s respect so quickly, and it was an honour to play with him.”
Lucas Radebe struggled through injuries at the end of his career
Radebe was a colossus at the heart of the Leeds defence in the late 1990s, having been made club captain during the George Graham era, leading the team to a fourth-place finish in his first year.
However, Radebe subsequently struggled with a chronic knee condition in later years, which led O’Leary to admit that his career was in the balance in 2002.
The former Leeds boss told Sky Sports: “His career is in the balance now because of that knee. That’s why I bought Rio Ferdinand a year ago.”
Radebe’s final season with the club was curtailed as he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in Leeds’ draw against Wolves in the 2004/05 Championship season. However, he was able to return for one final competitive appearance at the end of that year.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
