Football Legend, Pele, 'Depressed' And 'Embarrassed'

 

Brazlian football icon, Pele, has been described as being depressed and embarrassed to go out because of his debilitating health condition according to his son Edinho.

The former striker who turns 80 in October walks with the help of a frame after suffering for years with a hip peoblem.

Many of his recent appearances in public have been in a wheelchair, with his son saying that his father is unwilling to leave the house due to his shame about his condition.

READ ALSO: NANS Condemns Distribution Of JAMB Forms By Politicians

"He’s pretty fragile," Edinho told Globoesporte . "He had a hip replacement and didn’t have an adequate or ideal rehabilitation. 

"So he has this problem with mobility and that has set off a kind of depression. Imagine, he’s the king, he was always such an imposing figure, and today he can no longer walk properly. Only with help. He is very shy, very embarrassed about it.

"It improved a little compared to that recent time when he was in a wheelchair, but he still has a lot of difficulty walking.

"He’s embarrassed, he doesn’t want to go out, be seen, or do practically anything that involves leaving the house. He is reclusive."

The 79-year-old’s ill-health has previously been reported by Brazilian media.

It was claimed that he had his right kidney removed in 1977, before also stating more recently that he had underwent surgery to remove kidney stones.

During the 2018 World Cup draw held  in Moscow, Pele appeared in a wheelchair with reports making the rounds that he had collapsed from exhaustion a month later.

The former Santos and New York Cosmos striker played an influential role in Brazil’s domination at international level from 1958-1970, where the country lifted the World Cup on three occasions.