FORMER national captain Carlton "The General" Franco once described Aldric "Son" Baptiste as the most complete midfielder Trinidad and Tobago ever produced.
A star of the 1950s and 60s, Baptiste passed away last Thursday at Mount Hope Hospital. He was 74 years old.
A funeral service will be held from 2 p.m. on Monday at the Anglican church in Couva, after which the former outstanding footballer will be cremated at Belgroves Funeral Home in San Fernando.
Baptiste represented South, North and the national team. Among the old-stagers, his exploits were legendary and those who saw him play even argue that his skill, aggression and all-round ability compared to or surpassed Trinidad and Tobago's most influential modern-day players, Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy.
Only injury prevented Baptiste from being selected on the only West Indies football team to tour England in 1959.
Baptiste played alongside the likes of Alvin Corneal, Lincoln "Tiger" Phillips and Franco in the Trinidad and Tobago team, while Gwenyn Cust, who also played in that era, described "Son" as outstanding.
"He was a real handful. Speed, skilful, aggressive...he had a bit of all. He was a real straightforward guy, and he didn't like to lose," said Cust.
In more recent times, Baptiste was a founding member of the committee which oversees the annual reunion of Belmont Dynamos, Colts, Luton Town and Shamock.
The other members of that committee have expressed their deepest sympathy to his family.