u2018 Pele is pretty fragileu2019 Rio de Janeiro: Football legend Pele is experiencing u201c a kind of depressionu201d and barely leaves home anymore because health problems have left him unable to walk normally, his son said in an interview published on Monday.
u201c Heu2019s pretty fragile in terms of his mobility... and that makes him suffer a kind of depression,u201d Edinho said of his father, 79, who has had a series of health problems in recent years.
u201c Just imagine, heu2019s the u2018 King,u2019 he was always such an imposing figure, and now he canu2019t walk normally. He gets very shy, very embarrassed about that,u201d his son said in an interview published on the sports news site Globoesporte. com.
Pele, the pride of Brazilian football and the only player to win three World Cups ( 1958, 1962 and 1970), is considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time. He has been in and out of hospital in recent years for various health issues. He never fully recovered from one of his hip operations, leaving him dependent on a walker, Edinho said. u201c Heu2019s doing a bit better than when he was in a wheelchair recently, but he still has a hard time getting around,u201d said Edinho, 49. Peleu2019s public appearances have grown increasingly rare with age. Last April he traveled to Paris for a promotional appearance with French rising star Kylian Mbappe, but had to be hospitalised shortly after for kidney problems.
In 2014, he was placed in intensive care for dialysis after contracting a severe urinary infection. The Brazilian great, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, has only one kidney, after a broken rib during a match forced doctors to remove the other.
He has also suffered a series of hip problems. Edinho said despite those issues his father is u201c doing wellu201d physically.
AFP u2018 Just imagine, heu2019s the King, he was always such an imposing figure and now he canu2019t walk normallyu2019 Peleu2019s son Edinho Pele and Kylian Mbappe during a promotional event at Hotel Lutetia in Paris last April. PIC/ Getty Images Edinho reveals his football great dad is depressed and has turned into a recluse
