Leeds United Football Club - Final Hurrah For The Chief
Lucas Radebe will call time on his playing career with one final appearance for Leeds on Sunday, but hopefully not his involvement with the club.
Radebe is expected to feature on the bench against Rotherham and come on for the last few minutes to achieve his 200th league appearance, bringing to an end a career which has seen him captain club and country with distinction.
Ten years at Elland Road have seen him emerge as one of the most popular players in decades, as 38,000 turning up to support his testimonial showed, and despite his career having been ravaged by serious injury.
Offers of coaching work have already been flooding in for the 36-year-old, but he wants to move into that new field with qualifications already under his belt, and that means attaining his UEFA A and B coaching badges first.
Radebe is in no rush to return to South Africa just yet and hopes he can do much of his learning under United manager Kevin Blackwell.
"I want to stay here for another two years before I think of returning to South Africa," confirmed Lucas.
"I am looking to get some coaching qualifications this summer and then next season hopefully another set. I will go back home some day but at the moment I want to increase my knowledge of the game.
"I have spoken to Kevin Blackwell and he says he will try and create a position for me."
Blackwell has confirmed he will do his best to ensure he can keep Radebe at Leeds, if only just to allow him to achieve his qualifications.
Said the Leeds boss:"We've had a chat and I've told him that he has to get on and do his coaching badges this summer. If we can help him in any way or form we will do.
"If I can create a role within the club and afford to do it I would like to take Lucas on, but if I can't do that then the door is always open and I will always treat him as a coach at the football club.
"We will help him every way we can and we have a good set of coaches at this football club and he can learn a hell of a lot from them.
"I would love to have him around but obviously finances will dictate everything."
Would Lucas thrive as a coach though? Blackwell is certain he has the character to make it to the top.
"Coaching is completely different and Lucas might have the knowledge but it's how he puts it across, can he put it into a format that is understandable? But there is no doubt about it that Lucas would command respect from the youngsters on the training ground.
"Respect will only take you so far and then it's down to ability, but he no doubt has the tenacity to want to be the best coach as well. "
Radebe has revealed that he has already had approaches from the South African FA to undertake a role with them, former club Kaizer Chiefs have also been in touch, whilst FIFA too have shown an interest in a man they once honoured for his work in the community.
Blackwell is not surprised in the attention he is receiving and says Radebe remains the ultimate role model for all professional footballers.
"Lucas was one of the first people to come over and speak to me when I came to this football club.
"He puts people at ease straight away and he works as hard as any man I know. As a sportsman he's up there with the best and as an ambassador he is a diamond of a person in every sense of the world.
"He goes to all the top places and meets all the top people in the world, but Lucas is still the exact same person that came out of Soweto all those years ago. It has not affected him in any way or form and for young professionals he is a great role model.
"I say to the players that no matter what they achieve in the game they should try and keep their feet on the ground and it's great to have Lucas there.
"If certain other people had followed Lucas's ways then they would not have got into the trouble they did at this club or other clubs."
Lucas has promised there will be no tears from him on Sunday as he receives an emotional farewell, but there's certain to be fewer dry eyes amongst the fans.
Lucas Radebe will call time on his playing career with one final appearance for Leeds on Sunday, but hopefully not his involvement with the club.
Radebe is expected to feature on the bench against Rotherham and come on for the last few minutes to achieve his 200th league appearance, bringing to an end a career which has seen him captain club and country with distinction.
Ten years at Elland Road have seen him emerge as one of the most popular players in decades, as 38,000 turning up to support his testimonial showed, and despite his career having been ravaged by serious injury.
Offers of coaching work have already been flooding in for the 36-year-old, but he wants to move into that new field with qualifications already under his belt, and that means attaining his UEFA A and B coaching badges first.
Radebe is in no rush to return to South Africa just yet and hopes he can do much of his learning under United manager Kevin Blackwell.
"I want to stay here for another two years before I think of returning to South Africa," confirmed Lucas.
"I am looking to get some coaching qualifications this summer and then next season hopefully another set. I will go back home some day but at the moment I want to increase my knowledge of the game.
"I have spoken to Kevin Blackwell and he says he will try and create a position for me."
Blackwell has confirmed he will do his best to ensure he can keep Radebe at Leeds, if only just to allow him to achieve his qualifications.
Said the Leeds boss:"We've had a chat and I've told him that he has to get on and do his coaching badges this summer. If we can help him in any way or form we will do.
"If I can create a role within the club and afford to do it I would like to take Lucas on, but if I can't do that then the door is always open and I will always treat him as a coach at the football club.
"We will help him every way we can and we have a good set of coaches at this football club and he can learn a hell of a lot from them.
"I would love to have him around but obviously finances will dictate everything."
Would Lucas thrive as a coach though? Blackwell is certain he has the character to make it to the top.
"Coaching is completely different and Lucas might have the knowledge but it's how he puts it across, can he put it into a format that is understandable? But there is no doubt about it that Lucas would command respect from the youngsters on the training ground.
"Respect will only take you so far and then it's down to ability, but he no doubt has the tenacity to want to be the best coach as well. "
Radebe has revealed that he has already had approaches from the South African FA to undertake a role with them, former club Kaizer Chiefs have also been in touch, whilst FIFA too have shown an interest in a man they once honoured for his work in the community.
Blackwell is not surprised in the attention he is receiving and says Radebe remains the ultimate role model for all professional footballers.
"Lucas was one of the first people to come over and speak to me when I came to this football club.
"He puts people at ease straight away and he works as hard as any man I know. As a sportsman he's up there with the best and as an ambassador he is a diamond of a person in every sense of the world.
"He goes to all the top places and meets all the top people in the world, but Lucas is still the exact same person that came out of Soweto all those years ago. It has not affected him in any way or form and for young professionals he is a great role model.
"I say to the players that no matter what they achieve in the game they should try and keep their feet on the ground and it's great to have Lucas there.
"If certain other people had followed Lucas's ways then they would not have got into the trouble they did at this club or other clubs."
Lucas has promised there will be no tears from him on Sunday as he receives an emotional farewell, but there's certain to be fewer dry eyes amongst the fans.