How unsuccessful Pirates stint helped TS Galaxy midfielder grow
Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Mpho Mvelase has made an honest admission about his stay at the club ahead of the clash with his current team on Saturday. Mvelase spent a season and a half at the Buccaneers before he was sent on loan to Chippa United.
He has gone on to play for different clubs including Polokwane City, Royal Eagles, and Marumo Gallants and now finds himself at Galaxy.
The 35-year-old has explained to FARPost why he had to choose Pirates over offers from rivals Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs.
MPHO MVELASE OPENS UP ON HIS STAY AT THE SOWETO GIANTS
“Before I went to Pirates, I had offers on the table. It was only my first six months in the PSL,” he said.
“Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns came along. They wanted my services and you know as a young player, what you dream of or want to see happening in your career is what your thoughts have been telling you all along,” explained Mvelase.
“By then I didn’t have any doubt about signing for Pirates because that was my dream from a young age looking at Gift Leremi, Dukuduku [Joseph Makhanya] and all those players.
“I was still young, just 22 years old. I had many things to do and as you know young players were caught up in a lot of things. At that age that was going through my mind because I was not playing at that time,” he said.
“So every time I had a chance I did the wrong things. Although I didn’t listen, you know God will give you another chance in life. I remember the last day when Chairman [Dr Irvin Khoza] asked me whether I wanted to go on loan or I wanted to leave the team. When I told him that I wanted to leave he told me that he would only let me go when I went and proved to myself that what he saw in me he also wanted to see again.
HOW THE ORLANDO PIRATES STAY HAS CHANGED THE MENTALITY OF MPHO MVELASE
“It has changed me very much. In football, whether people will agree with me or disagree. In the end, you grow as a person, even in life. You see things differently. I still ask myself why God decided to take my peak at this age but he knows why and I just need to keep on believing and working hard. That makes my game simple because I have played for a long time.”
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