Wilson Palacios has revealed how football has helped him cope with his fears for his kidnapped brother Edwin, who may have no idea about the player’s recent switch to Tottenham.
The Honduras international moved to the White Hart Lane club from Wigan in a 14-million-pound deal last week but his family’s ongoing anguish over the fate of 16-year-old Edwin has cast a shadow over his achievement in establishing himself in England.
Edwin was snatched in October 2007 and a ransom demanded from the Palacios family after Wilson signed for Birmingham City – his first English club.
His performances at the Midlands club and then with Wigan have established the 24-year-old as one of the outstanding midfielders in the top-flight and persuaded Spurs manager Harry Redknapp to spend big to acquire his services.
But the family have been unable to share in that success.
And Palacios – whose mother made an impassioned plea for the release of her youngest son on Honduran television last week – admits football has provided a release from dwelling on his brother’s plight.
And he desperately hopes Edwin has somehow learned of his move to one of the Premier League highest profile clubs
“It is very difficult but the way to do it is to carry on concentrating on playing football,” said the midfielder. “But I speak to my mother every morning. We know what’s happening and we are confident it will all come to a positive conclusion.
“I don’t know if he knows I have signed for Tottenham. Of course I hope he does know.”
Palacios will make his Spurs debut against Bolton Wanderers and the player is hoping the rest of his family will finally be able to come over to see him play in England some time soon.
He added: “My mother’s not had a chance to come over and see me in England because of what’s happened to my brother, but she’ll be coming over soon to give her a break from it all.”
Away from his personal trauma, Palacios is helping forge a path for Latin American players to make their way to the Premier League and at Wigan he played with fellow Honduran Maynor Figueroa and Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia.
And the player is convinced that having learnt his trade back home at Deportivo Olimpia, there are many more quality players capable of making the move to Europe’s strongest leagues.
“There have always been some excellent players in Honduras,” he added. “But I think what has happened in the past is people have thought because it’s Honduras in Central America, maybe they can’t cut it here in the biggest leagues in Europe.
“There are certainly a lot more players like me in Honduras.”
Palacios’s move to Spurs marks a remarkable turnaround since he was first invited for a trial at Spurs’ local rivals Arsenal 18 months ago, only to be rejected by Arsene Wenger because of the number of midfielders then in the Arsenal squad.
The Honduran retains good friends at the Emirates – in particular Cesc Fabregas – and admits he even has an Arsenal shirt amongst his collection which may not go down too well with some at White Hart Lane.
But Palacios insists his first priority is Tottenham and helping lift the club away from the relegation zone and back into the top of half of the table.
He said: “Harry Redknapp didn’t have to sell the club to me. Everybody knows it’s a big club that’s normally in the top half of the table and our first job is to get the team moving back up the table.”
