Back during his playing days, John Giles was able to go head-to-head with some of the fellow greats of the '60s and '70s.
Brazil legend Pele was a star of the era, with his skill still revered today. But John also told Off The Ball about the other side to his game, which was borne out of necessity in an era of hatchet men.
"I don't think he was a brute on the pitch," John told Ger, "but he would be able to look after himself. You must remember that he was regarded as the best player in the world, he was a striker. He would be a target for some of the hatchet men around the world, so he was well able to look after himself.
"I saw him a few times and he'd probably be the last player I would want to get involved with on the pitch. A lot of the old guys listening would remember Tommy Smith, Nobby Stiles, Norman Hunter and Chopper Harris. They would kick you up in the air but they wouldn't be as dangerous as Pele. There's a thing in the game called going over the ball and that is the most dangerous thing in the game and from my experience it's the best players who were the best at it."
But John emphasised that Pele did not go "out of his way to look for trouble on the pitch" but rather had to protect himself as he saw fit.
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