Rio de Janerio, Nov 19: Pele today celebrated the 30th anniversary of his 1000th goal in football, saying he hoped one day to see his three-year-old son Joshua become a striker.Speaking to the Brazilian media from Austria, where he is attending a lavish awards ceremony to honour the greatest sportsmen of the millennium, Pele - known in his homeland as ``O Rey'' (the king) - said he wanted his son to follow in his footsteps unlike his other son Edinho, who became a goalkeeper.``I will impose nothing on my sons but fundamentally, I would like to see Joshua play football. If he wants to, he must dedicate himself to sport and do his best as Edinho did,'' Pele said.Pele, now 59, also reflected on his landmark strike in the 77th minute of his club side's clash with Vasco da Gama at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium on November 19, 1969.At 1-1, Pele was brought down after a mazy run and took the penalty himself, beating Vasco's Argentinian goalkeeper `Gato' Andrada.After the goal, which proved to be the winner, chaos reigned and Pele was carried on a lap of honour, holding the ball in the air. Eventually the match was completed although no-one cared about the result.Pele said today: ``It seems just like yesterday that I left the dressing room of the Maracana to take that penalty. My knees were knocking but the ball went in. There is nothing better for strikers than the moment you score. It makes me happy even today.'' Pele scored 1279 goals in his career - a figure unlikely ever to be matched by a player performing at such a high level.Almost universally considered the greatest-ever footballer in the world's most popular sport, Pele's goal ensured that 1969 in his homeland became known as the year of Pele's 1000th goal while in the rest of the world that year is associated with the first moon landing.Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Tres Coracoes, in the Minas Gerais region, Pele started playing for Santos at 14 and scored his first goal in 1956 on September 7.In 1958, he burst onto the World Cup scene at 17 in Sweden. He scored the winner for Brazil in the quarter-final with Wales, a hat-trick in the semifinal win over France and two brilliant strikes in the 5-2 final win over Sweden. It was Brazil's first World Cup win.Four years later, he played a minor role in Brazil's second World Cup triumph after being brutally treated by opposing players. Similar ruthless defending four years later in England also limited his participation in a tournament won by the host nation.But in 1970, Pele was at the centre of operations as Brazil made history, becoming the first team to win three World Cups. He scored the opening goal in the final against Italy and also provided other unforgettable moments, dumming Uruguayan goalkeeper Ladislav Mazurkiewicz in the semi-final and almost scoring from the half-way line against Czechoslovakia. That 1970 team is widely considered the greatest in football history. Pele also inspired his club side Santos to two World Club Championships.In 1975, he retired from football after a spell with New York Cosmos.All the souvenirs of Pele's 1000th goal have become relics. His strip, the ball, the net and even the referee's strip have become hot property.The ball was even stolen but was recovered by police and donated by Pele to the Association of Fathers and Friends of Exceptional Children, a Sao Paulo charity.Pele's number 10 jersey worn that night is in the possession of his daughter Kelly who lives in the United States. A former Vasco da Gama physiotherapist owns one of the other balls used in that match (three were used in all).
