US soccer owes almost everything to Pele, who played with Jomo Sono at New York Cosmos

US footballer Bobby Smith does not hold back his tears when paying tribute to "King" Pele: the rise of the game in the United States owes almost everything to the Brazilian legend, says his former New York Cosmos teammate.

Still athletic at 71, Robert "Bobby" Smith spoke to AFP at his training center for budding players, the Bob Smith Soccer Academy, in his native New Jersey.

At the edge of the indoor synthetic fields where children train, Smith, who was a top defender in his younger days, gazes fondly at a giant poster of him and Pele, who died Thursday of cancer at the age of 82.

Smith, a professional player in Philadelphia in the 1970s, signed in 1976 with the New York Cosmos for $100,000.

Pele, coming out of semi-retirement at 34, had signed a year earlier for at least 10 times that amount and would lead the Cosmos to the 1977 North American soccer championship, with 31 goals in 56 games.

Pele also played with South African legend Jomo Sono during his time at New York Cosmos.

Smith is an ardent, lifelong fan of Pele. As a young boy, he said he "never thought for a second that we'd be on the same team."

The thought brings a smile to his face even today.

'Like little kids'

Pele was key in attracting an array of other talent to the Cosmos team: After American goalie Bob Rigby, recruited at the same time as Smith, came Italian Giorgio Chinaglia, German Franz Beckenbauer and Brazilian Carlos Alberto.

"It's almost like we were little kids every day when we were around him," Smith says.

He is moved to tears as he stands before a photo of Pele's last match, in late 1977, when the star reached out to affectionately touch the younger man's cheek.

He was a surprisingly humble man, says Smith, "just so kind to everybody. He had no big