London: Wilson Palacios, at the heart of Honduras' World Cup midfield, knows better than most where football sits in the scheme of things.
A year ago last Sunday, the 25-year-old Tottenham player was informed that the grisly remains of his teenage brother Edwin, 16, had been found 18 months after his kidnapping.
The entire episode left Palacios on the verge of turning his back on football and the attendant celebrity and huge riches it had bestowed on him. "It's true — I did come close to retiring," he told Reuters.
"The reason why I carried on was firstly, because it's always been my dream to be a footballer but mainly it was my family and close friends, taking their advice saying ‘keep going, keep going'."
Bleak day
In the end, Palacios found the game became a refuge from his grief. "Football is what I do," he said simply.
Since that bleak day in May 2009, his form has been nothing short of astounding for Tottenham who qualified for the Champions League for the first time.
"From a kid I've always been quite tough, you know mentally tough and strong. I have always been tough and single-minded and that has helped."
Typically, the staunch Catholic has put his focus on the future and refuses to blame Honduran police or the authorities for a failure to save his brother.
