Pele taken to hospital for 'routine exams'

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian football legend Pele moved to play down fresh concerns about his health on Wednesday after being taken to a Sao Paulo hospital.

The 79-year-old, who has suffered from several illnesses and physical issues in recent years, took to social media to assure fans that he was well.

"I'm finishing up my second day of routine physical exams," the three-time World Cup winner said on Facebook. "I hope to be back home tomorrow and starting my physical therapy. All is good."

Pele's media assistants did not reveal the reasons for the exams, nor did they disclose the name of the hospital to which he was admitted on Tuesday.

The former Santos and New York Cosmos forward has been rarely seen in public since undergoing hip replacement surgery in 2012. He has since battled a series of prostate and kidney problems, the most recent of which left him hospitalized for almost two weeks last year.

Last month, Pele's son Edinho said the three-time World Cup winner was battling a "kind of depression" because of his fragile health and declining mobility. The man widely regarded as one of the best footballers in history later dismissed the concerns, telling fans he felt well.

Pele scored a world record tally of 1,281 goals in a 1,363-match professional career that spanned 21 years. He was capped 91 times for Brazil and scored 77 international goals.