Lucas Radebe becomes a Leeds United club ambassador | OneFootball

Leeds United are delighted to announce Lucas Radebe as an official club ambassador.

Lucas is a focal point for award-winning educational schemes and anti-racism campaigns, and his dedication to supporting the Leeds community on numerous important topics has been astounding, demonstrated through the many awards he has received.

Radebe started his professional career in 1989 back home in South Africa, making 113 appearances and scoring five goals for Kaizer Chiefs.

Signing for Leeds in 1994, he aided in a successful period for the club in the Premier League, alongside racking up several significant individual awards for his commitment to the community and speaking on important subjects.

After a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, Lucas was announced as Leeds United Player of the Year 1998 and club captain, leading the side to even higher heights in the 1999/2000 campaign, finishing third and securing qualification to the Champions League. The following season, Lucas helped Leeds reach the competition’s semi-final.

Radebe scored three goals in his time for the Whites, with two coming in European competitions against Partizan Belgrade and Spartak Moscow, and over the span of his playing career, he tallied up 70 caps for South Africa, scoring twice for Bafana Bafana.

Lucas was rewarded with the Big Issue Difference Award for his involvement in the Leeds United Book Challenge and the Leeds United Against Racism Schools Project, which used the power of football to promote reading and tackle racism, successfully encouraging 12,500 people to read over 500,000 extra books.

In 2000, Radebe got global recognition when he the received the FIFA Fair Play Award for his work done with children in Soweto, South Africa, and his commitment to fighting racism in football.

In May of 2010, Lucas also picked up the PFA Merit Award for his contributions to football, a prestigious recognition given by the Professional Footballers’ Association to individuals for their significant and meritorious service to the sport of football.

At the 10 Seasons Awards, following the tenth official Premier League season, Radebe collected the Contribution to the Community Award, which recognises the player who has done most to use his position to make a difference to peoples’ lives, further showcasing his humility and selflessness.

Even 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela was appreciative of Lucas’ contributions, labelling the former Whites’ defender his “hero” whilst on a visit to Leeds to open Millennium Square receive the “Freedom of the City”, and to re-dedicate the Mandela Gardens in the city centre.

The South African government also presented Radebe with an individual honour, naming him a recipient of The Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his excellent achievements in the field of sport.

Lucas has an honorary Master of Social Sciences degree from the University of Cape Town, thanks to his work for several educational, social and charitable initiatives, including the Starfish charity for HIV and Aids orphans, and the ‘Reach for a Dream’ foundation.

Radebe retired from football in 2005, having amassed 262 appearances for Leeds United, going down as one greatest ever to grace the Elland Road pitch.

It is an honour to welcome Lucas back to the club, with the official announcement made at half-time of the club’s Premier League fixture with AFC Bournemouth, where he was introduced to the pitch and we look forward to the future.