"They Exploited Us": Lucas Radebe Reflects on Premier League Struggles on His Birthday

• Radebe disclosed that he and Phil Masinga were among the lowest-paid players in the Premier League when they joined Leeds United in 1994
• The Premier League stepped in to address the pay disparity, calling it "exploitation" due to the players' African origins, forcing Leeds United to reconsider their treatment of Radebe and Masinga
• Radebe’s story resonates with current salary issues in the PSL, where some players are still earning as little as R5,000 a month

As South Africa celebrated Lucas Radebe’s 56th birthday on 12 April, the legendary Bafana Bafana defender opened up about the painful realities of his early days in English football — a reminder of how far the game has come, and how far it still needs to go.

"We were the lowest paid in England"

Radebe, who joined Leeds United in 1994 alongside the late Phil Masinga, revealed on the Izinja zeGame podcast that the duo were among the lowest earners in the Premier League at the time.

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"Apparently, we were the lowest paid players in the Premier League. I was earning £5,000 a week — which was the minimum — while others were making far more," he said.

According to Radebe, the lack of proper contract knowledge, combined with racial and geographic prejudice, led to their exploitation.

The Premier League stepped in and said, ‘This is exploitation, especially because you're from Africa’. I don’t think Leeds believed we would make it. Maybe they told our agents to just agree.

From Underdog to Leeds Captain

Despite a slow start in England, Lucas Radebe's resilience paid off. On his birthday, Saturday, 12th April — marking his birth in 1969 — Radebe looked back at his journey. He eventually captained Leeds United to top-half Premier League finishes and European football, earning cult hero status at Elland Road. His leadership on and off the pitch won admiration far beyond Yorkshire, including from the late Nelson Mandela, who famously declared Radebe his "favourite son."

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PSL salaries still unacceptably low

Back home, the issue of player pay remains pressing. Recently, the PSL’s Dispute Resolution Chamber ruled in favour of six Royal AM players who had taken the club to task over salary disputes. Among them was Sabelo Radebe, now at Golden Arrows, who had reportedly earned just R9,000 gross at Royal AM. With some players still taking home as little as R5,000 a month, Radebe’s birthday reflections feel particularly urgent — a reminder that talent alone doesn’t guarantee fair treatment.

A call to action

Radebe’s story — from being undervalued in England to becoming a football icon — highlights the ongoing need for education, protection, and fair contracts within South African football.

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Source: Briefly News