TheCable

Brazilian legend Pele has been admitted to hospital for the third time in eight months.

Local media reports say the 74-year-old was suffering from a trapped nerve and has had back surgery at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo.

Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, had spent two weeks in hospital in December and then underwent prostate surgery in May.

Mirtes Bogea, a press officer for the hospital, said she was not allowed to say when Pele was re-admitted or why.

But he should be released in the coming days, according to reports.

Pele, who was named FIFA’s Player of the Century alongside Diego Maradona of Argentina, scored a world record total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games during his 21-year career, including 77 in 91 games for Brazil.