Lyle Foster reveals how Hugo Broos influenced his Burnley move
Bafana Bafana frontman Lyle Foster has revealed how coach Hugo Broos influenced his move to English Championship [EFL] side, Burnley.
The Orlando Pirates youth product joined Burnley from Belgian club K.V.C Westerlo for an undisclosed fee in the January transfer window.
Foster signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the England second-division outfit.
This move saw Foster become the most expensive player in South African football history.
The 22-year-old’s decent form at Burnley continued to yield fruitful results for him to be considered in the Bafana squad set to face Liberia in the CAF AFCON qualifiers.
Bafana played out to a 2-2 in the first leg, with Foster netting a brace at Orlando Stadium on Friday, 24 March. The second leg will play on Tuesday, 28 March, in Liberia.
Foster divulged how Broos and his former coach at Westerlo Jonas De Roeck’s connection with Vincent Kompany influenced his move to Burnley.
Broos put Kompany in the first team at Anderlecht at the age of 17 years old. In a nutshell, the 70-year-old Belgian mentor was Kompany’s first coach in the professional football level.
And the Bafana coach is happy with how Kompany has laid a good foundation for Foster in his team.
HOW HUGO BROOS INFLUENCED LYLE FOSTER’S MOVE TO BURNLEY
“Beyond that circle or connection [of Hugo Broos having coached Vincent Kompany] my coach at Westerlo was the assistant coach of Vincent Kompany when he was the head coach at Anderlecht. It’s pretty much all links I think,” Foster told SAFA’s media officer.
“I remember my head coach at Westerlo telling me that Vincent called him a few times and asked about me. And he said I was progressing. That was the first time I heard about the news. And my agent obviously came to me to tell me about it.
“I had other few offers as well. But the moment I heard the name Vincent and how it’s so connected to my coach and for him to come to watch my game. And coach Hugo Broos being his first coach my heart just sat on it. It felt like the right move for me.”
‘I WANTED TO SEE MYSELF THERE’
The Bafana star continued: “And when I knew they have came to the party and I saw how they were playing their games. I instantly fell in love and wanted to see myself there.
“Luckily for me, I was able to make the move happen.”
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