By Gabriel Princewill-
John Fashanu has today said that his entire entity as a footballer was inspired by Pele, categorically describing Pele as a role model to all who loved football.
The former Wimbledon player who scored 135 goals for Wimbledon Aston Villa and White City, during the height of his footballing career in the 90’s, told The Eye Of Media.Com that as a young footballer, he walked down the street pretending to be Pele in his hey day. and struck the ball like the late Brazilian player when taking penalty shots.
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”Everybody wanted to be like Pele, he said. I struck the ball thinking I was Pele. I walked down the streets pretending to be Pele. Pele was constantly in my head as a young player.
‘Anytime I played football, I believed Pele was there watching me. It inspired me to be my best.
Fashanu who scored a total of 135 goals for Wimbledon, Aston Villa and White City added that ”Pele will never die, spiritually he is going nowhere”
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Speaking passionately about the legendary Pele, Fashanu who is preparing for dancing on ice this month said: ‘Anytime I took a penalty, I would face my head to one side and would strike the ball the other way with confidence knowing that the ball must go in.
‘The inspiration most footballers have today came from watching Pele.
‘And his personality made him very lovable. Everybody loved Pele.
‘He had such a broad beaming smile that could cheer up anybody.
Responding to Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s request for every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele, Fashanu said:
‘Which country will say no to that call There isn’t a single country that will say no.
‘His footballing skills were impeccable, the crowd was fascinated with the way he could take on numerous players at a time and score. He was hailed as the great Pele and as he displayed his skills and scored incredible goals, the crowd would chant Pele, Pele. He was football in every sense.
‘He was the greatest player of his time
‘After him were the likes of Maradona who was an atomic bomb who also took on many players, but it was a different ball game. We then had other fantastic players like Ronaldo Lioni Messi and others.
Procession
Brazil football legend Pelé was buried on Tuesday after a procession of his coffin in Santos which has seen many queue up to pay respect to the legend who is lying in state at the stadium
The three-time World Cup winner, whose full name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, died on 29 December after a long battle with colon cancer at the age of 82.
The Brazilian public paid its final respects at the Vila Belmiro Stadium, outside Sao Paulo. His casket was carried through the streets of Santos and passed in front of the home of his 100-year-old mother, Celeste, on Monday.
It then left Albert Einstein hospital and was placed in the centre circle of the field.
He was buried at the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica, a vertical cemeter
Believed by many to be the world’s greatest ever footballer, the Brazil’s government declared three days of national mourning after his death, and the country’s new president – Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva travelled to Santos to pay his respects as the 24-hour vigil draws to a close
As former Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto and Pele’s son Edinho helped carry the coffin, with floral wreaths sent by Brazil internationals Neymar and Vinicius Junior, and Real Madrid, there were tears and applause, and some people fell to the ground in blissful adulation of the man who revolutionised football and who had a personality that transcended the sport.
Fashanu, who met Pele in living colour said he had pictures with the legend at one of his homes back in Nigeria where he left for the Uk a few months ago.
Pele’s body lay in state at Santos’ stadium for 24 hours for the public to pay their respects
Former Santos FC president Marcelo Teixeira described Pele was a “fantastic human being”.
A steady stream of mourners passed through the centre to pay their final respects with an applause breaking out as they passed his coffin.
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