'No pressure' - player signed to 'replace' Pelé shares his memories of Brazilian great
The player signed to replace football legend Pelé on his retirement says he believes the Brazilian's achievement of winning the World Cup three times will never be surpassed.
The Brazilian great died at the age of 82 on Thursday 29 December, following a battle with colon cancer.
Dennis Tueart, who started his career at Sunderland, arrived from Manchester City in early 1978 to fill the space left up front for New York Cosmos when Pelé hung up his boots at the end of the previous year.
By the mid 1970s, Pelé - along with others such as Franz Beckenbauer, Eusebio and Carlos Alberto - had made the move to the USA where the profile of 'soccer' as a sport was on the rise.
Dennis Tueart remembers first arriving in New York to replace Pele
On his arrival, Tueart's first impressions of him were not just that he was a skilled player, but also a "respectful and kind" man.
He said: "In training, he was still phenomenal. I'm looking at Pelé and I'm thinking, 'he's just got everything.' But what he was, he was very respectful, very welcoming and that made my settling in just a bit easier.
"In the pre-season games, he joined in. He was 37, possibly coming up to 38 and he still looked terrific to me. His movement, his control and his vision... He was still really in top shape - maybe not to last a full season, but it was his decision to retire."
A minute applause will be observed before kickoff between Premier League sides Newcastle and Leeds United on New Year's Eve.
The Magpies' Brazilian playmaker Bruno Guimarães tweeted his own tribute, saying: "What remains, King, is your legacy, your history and everything you've done.
"We are grateful for everything you have given us. Rest in peace"
Newcastle United's head coach Eddie Howe described him as an 'icon'.
He said: "In my era, you grew up knowing of Pelé and thinking of him as the best player the world has ever seen.
"It's very sad, whenever an icon passes away it's a very sad moment for football. He's certainly well remembered around the world."
Newcastle United played against Pelé during an end of season tour of the Far East in 1972.
He scored a hat-trick as his Santos side ran out 4-2 winners over the Magpies in Hong Kong.
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