Liverpool academy captain Gabriano Shelton has explained why he chose South Africa over England for his international career.
The teenager, who captains Liverpool’s Under 15 side, recently texted the national Under 17 coach Duncan Crowie requesting to be added to the database of players being monitored.
The 15-year-old has since explained his decision to FARPost in an exclusive interview.
HIS ROOTS ARE IN SA
“It would be extremely important for me to represent SA. It’s the country where my roots are, and most of my family still live there. To be able to wear that flag would be an absolute honour which I wouldn’t take lightly,” he said from his Merseyside base.
The youngster added that his parents have always advised him and his younger brother, El Niño, to go where they feel comfortable.
“My parents told my brother and me to go where people will give us a chance and believe in our ability.
“So, if it were a straight choice between the two, then I would choose South Africa. The reason is that even though I am born in England, people will always look at me as a foreigner and ask things like, “where are you from?”
“Then you’d reply “Liverpool or England”, then they will always say, “yeah, but where are you really from?”.
“So I feel more comfortable knowing that no one can deny me my SA roots and family history, but ultimately if you get the same treatment in SA, too, because you live abroad, then it will be a difficult situation. Hopefully, it won’t be that way,” he said.
KASI FLAVOUR
The respectful teenager said he hoped people would know he does not have any sense of entitlement or disrespect for local players. He added that his dad told him about the kasi flavour and shibobos, which are synonymous with South African football.
“I wasn’t being arrogant when I messaged Coach Crowie. It’s just I did not know how to make the people in charge aware that I existed.”
National Under 17 coach Aaron Mokoena, who captained Bafana Bafana at the 2010 World Cup, has acknowledged that they received the youngster’s request. The former Bafana Bafana captain said they would be eager to assess Shelton.
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