Lucas Radebe interview

A year in the life of South African international and Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe has seen out one disappointing World Cup campaign and a highly publicised change of coach at Leeds. Barely days after signing a new three year contract, the much sought after defender was injured and has had to sit out the last few weeks of Leeds Premiership challenge. Lucas spoke to world soccer news just before Christmas about the last twelve months.

Did George Graham?s departure from Leeds and the subsequent search for a new coach unsettle the team?

"It was worrying because we, the players just wanted to know what was going on. When he was at Leeds United George was building a foundation for the club. After George had left we have still managed to be strong and not let ourselves down we had only lost once in the last ten games and in Europe we did well against AS Roma so that proves that there is life after George. We have got a great bunch of players at the club and everybody is willing to work hard and get behind the new coach. David has been at Leeds for some time now, he knows the players well and has got a good relationship with the players. I think he will do well with the club."

Was the World Cup a disappointing experience for you and the rest of the South African team?

"I think knowing we could have done better was disappointing. To experience the World Cup and just to qualify for the World Cup was an experience in itself but I was disappointed that we didn?t do so well. We did have a good chance of going through to the next round but we didn?t which was disappointing, but from our World Cup we know that we can still improve and we know now what it is all about so I think that we will do better next time. The game against Denmark for instance was a good game and was a great experience for all of the players."

Coach Phillippe Troussier quit the team soon after France 98. Looking back do you think that he was the wrong man for the job?

"Phillippe is a great coach but there were so many players in the squad who did not know him so his attitude was a little bit harsh to those players who did not understand him. So they got upset which I think it did not help us to go in the right direction." Any memories of any other World Cup games while you were out in France? " Oh yes there were many. It was great to see Michael Owen scoring that goal against Argentina, when he got the ball on the halfway line I knew then that it was going to be a goal for England."

Looking to the future, South Africa have thrown their hat in the ring as potential hosts for the 2006 World Cup. How would the South Africans fare as hosts for the biggest sporting event in the World?

"I think that one of the African nations will get a chance of hosting the World Cup. It is a big responsibility and a responsibility that I think South Africa could handle. I think that we have a great infrastructure and the potential to host a great games. Also I think that if the South Africa league were to improve we would have a great chance.

"We have got very good young players like Benny McCarthy and Quinton Fortune in the team so there is great talent and we are sure to see other players coming up soon. There is a great deal of talent out there and I think that we will see more and more South African players coming up through the ranks. We have done great to get where we are today, we just need to step up a gear to be able to compete with the top European countries."