Garforth Town owner Simon Clifford has hailed Socrates as "a tremendously brave and courageous" man following his death at the weekend.

Socrates: Hailed by Clifford

Socrates, who died of severe septicaemia on Sunday morning, famously came out of retirement in 2004 at the age of 50 to make a one-off substitute appearance for English lower league side Garforth.

Clifford recalled the former Brazil captain's unorthodox warm-up methods at the club but said the midfielder's battle with alcohol abuse did not diminish the great things he achieved both on and off the field.

"He came on as a substitute [for Garforth] against Tadcaster," Clifford told BBC Radio Five Live.

"We drew the game he played when he came on as a sub and I decided not to play him in the next game because his warm-up had consisted of drinking two bottles of Budweiser and smoking three cigarettes which we had in the changing rooms.

"I didn't think it was a good idea for him to carry on playing too much more though he was keen to."

However, Clifford hailed the legacy of a protest led by Socrates during his time with Brazilian club Corinthians which widened beyond the game of football and coincided with Brazil's fight to overturn a military regime in the 1980s.

The former Brazil midfielder spearheaded a movement called Corinthians Democracy in which players protested against the long periods of confinement required by the club before matches.

"He was different," Clifford said.

"He wasn't afraid to speak out. In the early 80's when Brazil was under a military government he basically was behind a democracy movement in the club. Making the club a democracy as a very obvious stand to make a parallel with the government situation.

"He went to left-wing rallies and spoke and he was tremendously brave and courageous.

"It wasn't so much what he did for football but for Brazilian society as a whole. His courage was immense."

Socrates scored 172 goals in 297 games for the Sao Paulo club and Corinthians fans yesterday honoured their former midfielder as the side won its first Brazilian title for six years following a goalless home draw against Palmeiras.

A minute's silence before the game was drowned out by chants of 'Doctor' - Socrates' nickname - and supporters also held up banners reading 'Doctor Socrates, rest in peace'.