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| Regarded almost unanimously as the jewel in the Elland Road crown, United's skipper Lucas is the best defender to have pulled on a Leeds shirt since the Revie era. No wonder then, that David O'Leary's wish list to the board when he succeeded George Graham as manager in October 1998, included as a priority the desire to secure the South African at Elland for the rest of his career. With that in mind, the Irishman was delighted when Lucas agreed a new four year deal in December of the same year. Radebe's reading of the game and subsequent frequent last ditch saving tackles, along with his ability to smother opposition dangermen as a top class man to man marker distinguish him from run of the mill Premiership defenders. George Graham, a man not given to gushing praise unless it was thoroughly deserved, said of Lucas when appointing him captain for the 1998/99 season: "It shows the confidence I have in him and how much I rate him." It was also noticeable that of all the players George Graham inherited from Howard Wilkinson the first one given a new long term contract was Lucas, which led to jokes in the dressing room that Lucas was in fact George's long lost son!!! Only lengthy injury problems denied him the chance to make his mark in his first two years in England, Radebe has really come to the fore in the last two seasons, and finally is now being recognised as as a good a defender as there is in the Premier League. Having captained Bafana Bafana to victory in the African Nations Cup Finals in 1996, Lucas then had the honour to lead his nation into their first ever World Cup finals in 1998. Despite noises from Italy in the summer 2000, Radebe pledged to see out his career at Elland Road. David O'Leary said: "Lucas should be set in stone and never allowed to leave!" The following season was a stop start affair as Radebe struggled with a series of injuries, but the South African is a vital member of the Leeds squad and has a burning desire to lift a trophy in Leeds colours before hanging up his boots. |