Football legend Pele’s son Edinho claims the 79-year old is depressed and too embarrassed to leave the house because of poor health.

The former striker has of late been making sporadic public appearances in a wheelchair due to a hip problem which he has suffered from for years now.

Edinho told Globoesporte this is the reason his father is shy to leave the house.

“He’s pretty fragile after a hip replacement in which he didn’t have an adequate or ideal rehabilitation.

“So he has this problem with mobility and that has set off a kind of depression. Imagine, he’s the king, he was always such an imposing figure, and today he can no longer walk properly. Only with help. He is very shy, very embarrassed about it.

“It improved a little compared to that recent time when he was in a wheelchair, but he still has a lot of difficulty walking.”He’s embarrassed, he doesn’t want to go out, be seen, or do practically anything that involves leaving the house. He is reclusive.”

Pele has also had kidney problems in the past and underwent surgery to remove the right.

He also had another operation to remove kidney stones while in 2018 the former Santos and New York Cosmos collapsed and was admitted at a hospital in Brazil due to severe exhaustion.