De Reuck opens up on request to leave Sundowns on loan
Rushine De Reuck has opened up on his request to leave Mamelodi Sundowns on loan, a move that saw him secure a six-month deal with Maccabi Petah Tikva in Israel.
According to the reports, De Reuck’s deal with Petah Tikva includes a purchase option, and the parties will review its terms at the end of the season.
The 29-year-old centre-back joined Masandawana in 2021 following an impressive stint with Maritzburg United, who have since rebranded as Durban City FC.
The defender initially enjoyed significant playing time, particularly during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons at Sundowns. However, at one point, his momentum was disrupted by injuries. And returning to the starting line-up proved challenging in recent campaigns.
De Reuck stated that he initiated the idea of a loan move with Sundowns, seeking more consistent playing time. He believed he had performed well in his few appearances this season when filling in for injured regular centre-backs.
However, he found himself back on the bench, a situation he acknowledged “wasn’t going to change,” thus requesting to depart on loan.
DE REUCK ON HOW THE LOAN MOVE CAME ABOUT
“I thought my situation may not change, so I engaged with the SD [Sporting Director Flemming Berg] who was very accommodating and understood, I needed to play,” said De Reuck during an exclusive interview with FARPost.
“You know, I haven’t been playing much. I asked him if I can maybe go out on loan to get minutes. But then obviously the new coach [Miguel Cardoso] came in, and not long after that, I got opportunities to play. But that was because there were other players who were injured; most of the other centre-backs were injured. I stepped up.
“I played a game against Stellenbosch FC in Cape Town; we won 1-0, played AmaZulu FC in Durban, we won [1-0]. We had two clean sheets, you know. Then, obviously there were a few other players who came back, and then I was on the bench again. I came in against Richards Bay FC, played about 30 minutes and did well.
“And then after that, you know, I didn’t really play again. So, I could obviously see that my situation was not going to change at the club. Then I went back and I asked him [Berg] if it was still possible that I could go out on loan, because I could see that, I probably was not going to get much game time, there is a big squad and I really needed games in the legs.
“Fortunately, for me in that moment, my agent Paul Mitchell, SSG, has a good network here in Israel. My profile went to a few of the clubs, and Petah Tikva watched my games, and they were very impressed with me. They asked about my availability.
“It was a big opportunity for me to come here; it’s a very good level and great league. Flemming Berg could also see the benefits in the move, which helped also.”
DE REUCK SAYS OVERSEAS MOVE CAME AT THE PERFECT TIME
De Reuck deems a move overseas as a significant opportunity, especially given his lack of playing time at Sundowns.
“So they then spoke to the club and then, yeah, the deal happened. I was so happy about that because I could have gone anywhere else in the PSL, not that it [would be] a bad move, but Israel was what I wanted,” he added.
“An opportunity like this comes once in a while. It was also the perfect time for me to come here because a few years ago, when I was doing well at Sundowns and at the international team, there was obviously interest in me, but it’s difficult to leave Sundowns when you’re playing regularly for various reasons.
“So, I think now it was the best time for me to move, and I’m happy that I made that decision to come here, and I hope that it’s going to be a good one.”
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