Brazilian football legend Pele sought to reassure fans that he was doing fine, after his son alluded to depression and said the ageing star now barely leaves home.
"Thanks for your prayers and your worry. I am doing fine. I will be 80 this year," Pele, considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, said in a statement on Thursday. "I have good days and bad days, which is normal for people my age."
Pele has been in and out of hospital in recent years for various health issues.
In the interview published on the sports news site Globoesporte.com, Edinho said his father is "pretty fragile in terms of his mobility... and that makes him suffer a kind of depression."
"Just imagine, he's the 'King,' he was always such an imposing figure, and now he can't walk normally. He gets very shy, very embarrassed about that," his son said.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)