Monday 16th November 2009
Palacios: I almost quit football
Wilson Palacios admits he considered quitting football following the death of his brother.
The Tottenham midfielder was left devastated earlier this year when it emerged that his younger brother Edwin had been murdered.
Palacios paid the £125,000 ransom demanded by Edwin's kidnappers, but the 16-year-old was never seen again.
Police in Honduras eventually found the youngster's body when two jailed gang members admitted to the murder and alerted authorities as to the whereabouts of the buried body.
Palacios missed the end of the 2008/09 campaign in the wake of the discovery, having been granted leave by Spurs, and the 25-year-old has revealed that he contemplated turning his back on the game for good.
"I was really thinking of giving up football altogether," he said in the News of the World.
"My brother's always in my thoughts; when I go out on the pitch, in training, when I do anything.
"He is an inspiration for me to carry on, he drives me forward.
"Edwin was a footballer, too. He would have wanted me to keep on playing, as did my family. They helped me make the decision."
Palacios' courage has been rewarded with qualification for the 2010 World Cup, with the combative midfielder playing a crucial role in Honduras' road to South Africa.
"The people of Honduras are still partying and everyone is so excited about next summer," he said.
"It makes me proud to be part of something which is bringing joy and happiness to my country."
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