So revered was Thomas that the city's only double football Olympian, SS Narayan swears by him. ``I have grown up hearing the name and seeing the great man play,'' Narayan had said while speaking about Thomas.

Thomas passed away yesterday after he was in coma for nearly nine days. He had collapsed last week and suffered from paralysis.

Thomas shone on pitches around the country in the 40s and 50s and was feared for his famous `net-bursting kicks'. Thomas, though, was a most famous name at Cooperage during that era.

It was unfortunate that he missed the 1948 Olympic team. ``Thomas was very upset when he missed out on a spot in the Indian team. He should have been in the team,'' said Narayan.

Narayan recalls an incident about Thomas. ``The Indian team had set sail for London. The ship on which the Indian team was sailed dockedin Mumbai and to play a match. Thomas was one of the members who played against the Indian team. He scored two goals...the goalkeeper did not even see the ball,'' says Narayan.

Profuse in praise for Thomas' impeccable manners, Narayan recalls him as the most gentlemanly player he has ever met. ``He would play his game and go away. He never indulged in any politics.

In an interview some years back, Thomas recalled one of his most satifying moments. ``I was playing with India Cultural League and in 1953 we happened to be the first non-Calcutta team to win the IFA Shield.

It was a great achievement. But the best part was when our train reached VT station. There were hundreds of people to welcome the team and we were paraded right to Cooperage,'' he had said.

Thomas who hailed from Thiruvananthapuram, first played for Western India Automobile Association Staff team in 1942. That team folded up, but nothing was lost as most of the members of that squad made up the Trade India side.Later he was associatedwith India Cultural League. Thomas was also a member of the Aryan Gymkhana team, which was as good as the Indian team.