Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has paid an emotional tribute to Pele in a new post he shared on Twitter following the death of the legendary player.
As tons of tributes from renowned players and people associated with football stormed social media to pay their last respects to the man regarded as the best player of all time, Gyan popped up to share thus;
“Thank you for paving the way for us to follow. RIP legend,” wrote Gyan on Twitter.
Pele had colon cancer treatment in September 2021 after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour, and he required continuous care.
After being readmitted to the hospital at the end of November to reevaluate his cancer treatment, he was found to have a respiratory infection and was then transferred to palliative care when his body stopped responding to chemotherapy.
Pele died on Thursday at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo and his daughter, Kely Nascimento, confirmed the news on Instagram, writing: “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.
Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled “the greatest” by FIFA, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century.
In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century.
His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record.
Meanwhile, see Gyan’s post below;
