He was quite simply the finest footballer to grace the beautiful game I have ever seen in my life.
The man stood head and broad shoulders above all others like Grey's Monument dominating the skyline of Newcastle.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento is a mighty mouthful but he was recognised across the world by only four letters. Pele.
Magical. Blessed. Visionary. Artistic. Unique. THE giant amongst giants.
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I have been lucky enough to witness many of the supermen live up close and personal and every one deserves the utmost respect for stunning ability. Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff. Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo di Stefano. Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi. Great Britons Bobby Charlton, George Best, Kenny Dalglish, John Charles, Stanley Matthews, and Tom Finney.
I have loved them all and marvelled at their sublime skills but for me Pele was the supreme master which is why his passing at the age of 82 has seen me unashamedly shed tears. For it to happen at a time of festive joy and celebration only adds to its poignancy.
Who is the greatest of all time is always a matter of opinion of course. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but what I was privileged to witness at the 1970 World Cup was so joyous that 52 years later if I shut my eyes Pele is dancing before me once again.
I went to Mexico to report on England defending the Jules Rimet Trophy they had splendidly won four years before but because we were drawn in the same group I was lucky enough to watch Brazil play every one of their matches en route to lifting the trophy bar one, the quarter-final when I was in Leon with England.
Without question that Brazilian side remains the most beautifully brutal team I have had the pleasure of watching and Pele was their centre stage star.
The Fabulous Five up front were global entertainers. I can still reel off their names to this day... Jairzinho, Gerson, Tostao, Pele, and Rivelino.
Gerson the playmaker, Jarzinho and Rivelino flying wingers, Tostao a little centre-forward almost blind in one eye, and the majestic No.10 who could do it all.
The greatest World Cup final I have ever seen was the last one but it only beat Brazil 4 Italy 1 because it was such a tingling to-and-fro 120 minutes plus penalty shoot out whereas the Samba Kings were on another planet and pulverised a country noted for building its sides on the meanest of defences. Too one-sided to leave the result ever in any doubt.
How good was Pele? At 17 years of age when kids were normally cleaning the boots of senior pros in dressing rooms across all lands he won Brazil the 1958 World Cup scoring no less than six times in Sweden including a semi-final hat-trick and two more in the final.
The year of '62 brought another global bauble, he was literally kicked out of the '66 tournament in England, and then crowned everything with glorious fulfilment in the country of sombreros. That's how good he was!
No one who sat pitchside when Pele's jacknife header brought the 'save of the century' from Gordon Banks or marvelled at his towering jump above his marker while falling backwards to head Brazil into the lead against Italy in the final will ever doubt where he stands in football's pantheon of stars.
I interviewed Pele many, many times afterwards at World Cup finals scattered across a soccer mad world and he was always the smiling ambassador all loved and respected. It had shown when I flew from Guadalajara in the west of the country to Mexico City on the same plane as the Brazil squad and Pele stood in the aisle for the whole journey talking amiably with fans and signing autographs.
Whereas today every South American footballer with but a touch of what he had heads for the money fields of Europe to perform and gain fulsome financial reward he remained at home playing a staggering 19 seasons with his Brazilian club Santos before belatedly coming out of retirement to promote football in America with New York Cosmos.
I have spoken with many Newcastle players who actually considered it a privilege to be scorched by Pele's genius on the football field.
It all came about on June 4, 1972, a couple of years after Mexico when United were in the Far East on a four-match end-of-season tour.
They were playing Santos in an exhibition match at Hong Kong's Happy Valley Stadium which I've visited many times.
United led 2-1 at half-time with goals from John Tudor and a 30-yard screamer from Tony Green. Suddenly a disinterested Pele decided to turn it on. He scored an explosive hat-trick in quarter of an hour and promptly took his leave to rapturous applause.
"Not only was Pele skilful, he was as hard as nails and so powerful," said Frank Clark who kept a framed photograph of him tackling the Brazilian superstar on the wall of his study. "It was a great experience being on the same pitch as the world's best player."
Tudor added: "For 15 minutes we were in the presence of greatness. Pele's skill, close control and acceleration were just incredible. He was like a flash of lightning."
Pat Howard, who had just joined United, told me: "I asked our gaffer Joe Harvey how to play Pele. He just laughed!"
Aye, the man was pure magic. Never the like!
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GIBBO'S TOP TEN GREATEST EVER FOOTBALLERS
1 Pele
2 Maradona
3 Messi
4 Zidane
5 Cristiano Ronaldo
6 George Best
7 Cruyff
8 Bobby Charlton
9 Ronaldo (Brazil)
10 Puskas
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