AN EX-owner of Bangor City who looked after Brazil's 1966 World Cup squad has paid tribute to the world's greatest footballer Pele after his death on Thursday.

Pele, who won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and arguably the greatest side in 1970, was kicked out of the 1966 World Cup in the first round by over-zealous defenders.

The then World Cup holders were stationed in Lymm, in Cheshire, as many of their games were at Everton's Goodison Park home.

Charles Roberts, now of Oswestry, was put in charge of looking after the players' needs for two days as they trained in Bolton, Lancashire.

And Charles, 85, has moved to pay homage to 'a gentleman' who died from colon cancer in Brazil, leading to millions of tributes from around the world.

"He was a very kind man who stayed in his bedroom a lot as he was missing his wife daily," said Charles, who was also a director of Wrexham FC from 1972 and 1976.

"When he did come out, he never showed any aggression and he was always the perfect gentleman, very much like Sir Bobby Charlton.

"Pele was just a very sweet-natured man, even with the communication difficulties as his my Spanish and Portuguese was as bad as his English.

"I looked after them for two days in Lymm – they were based at the Lymm Hotel and whoever put them there was absolutely wicked.

"They were the world champions and they put them in a hotel next to a railway – it was horrible.

"They trained in Bolton, but also at the hotel they were at, there was a bowling green.

"They didn't know what bowling was so they thought it was a practice pitch and had a light knockabout on it.

"The groundsman went potty when he saw them and his grass all churned up."

Charles added that Pele, who by then had won two World Cups at the tender age of 25, admitted he remembered the time he spent with him for all his life.

He said: "On the pitch you could see his star quality but off it, he was very unassuming.

"If you didn't know anything about Pele, you wouldn't have thought he was a star – he was just one of those guys in the world that don't need to blow their own trumpet because they're top of the job.

"It was a privilege to meet him – I knew his reputation but he wasn't as God-like as he is now.

"It was a great experience that I've treasured all my life.

"I think he was the best, and so did Sir Bobby who is a friend of mine."