SuperSport United midfielder Grant Margeman, who is on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns, has opened up on the two mistakes he made after joining the reigning DStv Premiership champions in 2020.
Margerman, 22 at the time, had just come from three seasons of consistently excelling for Ajax Cape Town in the second-tier division.
“Everyone is quality in the [Mamelodi Sundowns] team, but I had a bit of doubt in myself, shying away and not showing my full potential.
“Coming from the NFD [and] joining the champions of the [topflight] league, I expected too much of myself. I put too much pressure on myself,” he said on Tuesday.
As a result, the lack of game time in his first season at Mamelodi Sundowns drained him of his confidence.
“I think the first season at Sundowns wasn’t what I expected. As a player, you want to play, be part of the team and help on the match day.
“It was a bit disappointing being in a place where you’re not involved in games, not playing,” he added.
The 24-year-old spent last season on loan, featuring 28 times for the Soweto side as they survived relegation after winning the playoffs. He credits that stint for restoring his confidence.
“[The loan spell at Swallows] helped me as a player and gave me self-belief to say I’m still a good player.
“Whenever you’re not playing, you have doubts about whether you can play at the highest level,” he added.
Margeman wants to use the SuperSport stint to return to his best and bounce back at Sundowns to compete. He has played a part in all five of SuperSport’s games this season.
“It shows now that I’ve been doing well since I joined SuperSport; I can only get better with more games.”
He vowed that he doesn’t want to be “a loan player every season” and aims to return to his parent club.
“I’m coming to a stage [in my career] where I’ve to show my true potential and put myself back on the map as a top player in the league.”
