Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobelaar may be remembered more for his jelly legs in the European Cup final, another aspect of his life that some fans may not now about is his past involvement in Zimbambwe's war of independence.
In an interview with the Guardian, the 60-year-old detailed being conscripted to the war as a teenager, going into harrowing detail about the first time he killed a man:
My first time was at dusk. As the sun sinks you're seeing shadows in the bush. You cannot recognise much until you see the whites of their eyes. It's you or them. You shoot, you drop and there's overwhelming gunfire.
You hear voices on your side: "Hey, corporal, I'm hit." You whistle to shut them up otherwise we're all getting killed. When the firefight is finished you see bodies everywhere. The first time everything in your stomach comes up through your mouth.
The South African highlighted the impact the war had on some people, saying that two soldiers he knew both killed themselves after learning that they were to complete to another six month tour.
Grobbelaar went on to state that he couldn't say how many people he killed in the war, but that football had been his saviour:
I couldn't tell you. This is why I've always lived my life for today. I can only say sorry for the past. I can't change it.
(Football) It kept me away from the dark thoughts of war.
After participating in the war Grobbelaar went on to play football South Africa and then in Canada with the Vancouver Whitecaps before going on loan to English side Crewe Alexandra. A move to Liverpool would then materialise in 1981, with Grobbelaar becoming a cult hero at Anfield, making 628 appearances for the Reds, winning six league titles and one European Cup during his time at the club.
