You can’t miss Edu’s smile. Or his laugh. Or his enthusiasm for the game he’s played all his life.

The former Brazilian 1970 World Cup champion is simply soccer personified. And the players and coaches at Cliff McCrath’s Northwest Soccer Camp are getting a major dose of the man who played with Pele and was the youngest player ever on a World Cup roster at age 16 in 1966.

For the last two weeks, Edu has been at the camp, which kicked off June 27 and will run through Aug. 13 at Bastyr University in Kenmore. The camp — for players ages 5-18 — is in its 39th year and formerly took place at Camp Casey in Coupeville.

During a Reporter visit last Thursday, Edu first led the campers in a Brazilian-style warmup with running, leg lifts, clapping and some singing on the main field. He then helped Brazilian friend and coaching director Paul Mendes and other coaches teach skills to a group of young boys and girls. At session’s end, kids dribbled up field and took shots on Edu in goal. When he got his shot on goal and scored, Edu displayed a goofy dance that had the players laughing.

Following is a question-and-answer session with Northwest Soccer Camp players and directors about Edu and some input from the man himself. He’s been friends with Mendes and McCrath for years and has been teaching at the camp since 2000.

• How does it feel to have one of the classics, Edu, up here?

Steve McCrath (Cliff’s son, coaching director): It’s his personality, he is the Black Santa Claus, he just draws kids (in), it’s unbelievable. It’s his attitude and the way he carries himself. And the most important part is that what he brings to the table isn’t his history and the World Cup, it’s who he is, he makes (the kids) feel like champions, he makes them feel as if they’re the most important thing in the world. And they all wanna be a part of it.

• Are the kids aware of his impact on soccer history and are they learning a lot from him?

Denise Foreman (executive director): I see some excitement. I’m not sure they know who he is.

I think what he imparts is the joy of the game. That, yes, there are skills to be learned, but maybe you could do it in a joyful way. He has a way of building kids up just with his smile and laughter and joy of it all. Parents, kids are overwhelmed by him. You can’t be in his presence and not know that you’re in the presence of somebody really special.

He played in three World Cups and was the youngest player ever to play in the World Cup at 16, I mean, that’s pretty amazing. And yet, he’s walking among them, he’s having dinner with them, he’s having lunch with them.

• What have you learned from Edu?

Peter McCrae-Hokenson (from Michigan): Moves. I like working with Edu, it’s just cool to have that experience — he’s so cool.

Lexi McQueary (from Tri Cities): And Portuguese; bom dia is good morning and obrigado is thank you.

• How are the camps going this week?

Edu, as translated by Mendes: It’s been going very well, I like the enthusiasm of the young players, I’m having a lot of fun with them. It really helps them learn when they’re having a lot of fun playing the game.

• Do you still love the game as much now as you did back then (age 16)?

Edu: Soccer’s always been my first love, my passion and has given me a lot of happiness. I have no regrets and love still being involved with the game, working with young players. And if I could do it over again, I would do the very same thing, be a professional soccer player.

• What was it like to play with the great Pele and are you still in contact with him?

Edu: It was fantastic to play with the best player in the world, The King — or Rei — as we call him in Brazil. We’ve maintained our friendship to this date. Pele’s mother lives about three blocks away from where I live in the town of Santos, so I still see Pele’s family and Pele regularly.

• You probably watched the World Cup this year. Your Brazil didn’t do as well as hoped, but did you like what you saw out there? Are the folks younger than you still upholding the game well?

Edu: There were some letdowns with the (Brazilian) team, certain parts of the game they didn’t come through. I felt they weren’t creative enough and my choice of players might have been different, but Brazil is always Brazil, they have the potential.

It was a really well-deserved championship for Spain. They had the best possession team, a very patient team that kept their poise throughout the entire World Cup right up until the last game.