Heritier Lumumba continues to give the most interesting interviews in football

FROM a bizarre best-and-fairest speech to requesting a meeting with Barack Obama, you can never accuse Heritier Lumumba of being boring. Now he’s done it again.

Heritier Lumumba. Picture: Colleen Petch.

NO ONE can ever accuse Heritier Lumumba of doing a boring interview.

While most players throw out the well rehearsed “one game at a time” line, Lumumba continues to speak his mind, giving media and fans alike an insight into what he is really thinking.

In an interview with Channel 7 news on Wednesday night, Lumumba continued the trend, touching on a wide range of topics including his battle with concussion and the death of Muhammad Ali.

Lumumba, who has not played for the Demons since Round 6, said the period he had out of football was “fantastic” and the hardest thing he had to deal with was Ali’s death.

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“Every negative circumstance in your life is an opportunity to grow,” he said.

“Whatever the injury may be, my identity is not completely defined by football.

“I’m still mourning the passing of the great Muhammad Ali. That has probably been the most difficult time in this period.”

Lumumba also wasn’t afraid to talk up his side’s finals chances.

“I have an opportunity to contribute to my team playing finals football,” he said.

“I know that we have what it takes to play finals football.”

Lumumba celebrates a goal in his first game for Melbourne. Picture: Colleen Petch.

Here are some other times Lumumba has spoken his mind.

COLLINGWOOD 2014 BEST-AND-FAIREST

Having already requested a trade out of Collingwood at the end of the 2014 season, Lumumba made a cryptic farewell speech at his final Copeland Trophy presentation.

After finishing fourth, the rebounding defender declared he would have the last laugh.

“Collingwood has allowed me to define my character and also to find the true meaning of my true name ... which means the prince, the one who will have the last laugh, and (who) is gifted,” Lumumba said to a packed, and somewhat confused, room of players, officials and supporters.

Lumumba speaking to reporters at Collingwood in 2013.

COLLINGWOOD TRAINING, 2013

After taking a mid-season break from football in 2013, Lumumba returned to Collingwood and a waiting pack of reporters.

He didn’t hold back in answering questions about his absence, detailing a “complicated history” of abuse and depression as well as witnessing a murder in Brazil in 2011.

“I’m going through a history ... of things for a long time, including a long and very complicated history of sexual abuse, suicide, depression, seeing someone get murdered, knowing who murdered that person and not being able to say anything, knowing that person will probably murder you.”

REQUESTING A MEETING WITH BARACK OBAMA

Lumumba previously wrote a letter to the football world explaining why he wanted to meet with US President Barack Obama.

“This is about the voice of the children’s cries I still hear from the HIV-infected orphans I cared for in Africa, the millions of women violently abused throughout Australia, depressed men who see no other option but to end their lives through their own hands, indigenous youth following a chain of dysfunction, forgotten homeless mental health sufferers throughout Australia, and immigrants to Australia who have trouble integrating into Australian culture,” he said in the letter.

Heritier Lumumba has always spoken his mind. Picture: Colleen Petch.

TAKING ON EDDIE McGUIRE

Lumumba let his then club president, Eddie McGuire, know exactly what he thought after McGuire suggested on radio that indigenous player Adam Goodes could be used to promote the musical King Kong.

“It doesn’t matter if you are a schoolteacher, a doctor or even the president of my football club I will not tolerate racism, nor should we as a society,” O’Brien tweeted.

“I’m extremely disappointed with Eddie’s comments and do not care what position he holds, I disagree with what came out his mouth this morning on radio.”

Originally published as Heritier Lumumba continues to give the most interesting interviews in football