Bradley Cross has opened up about the scrutiny he faced during his first few weeks at Kaizer Chiefs, revealing how he tuned out the external noise to establish himself in the Amakhosi defence.
Cross joined the Soweto giants from Golden Arrows on a four-year deal at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, arriving as a key reinforcement under then-head coach Nasreddine Nabi.
While he initially struggled to cement a regular spot in the starting XI, Cross found his rhythm and became a more regular presence in the line-up over the last few months. Before a recent injury sidelined the 25-year-old, he had notched 15 appearances across all competitions this season, proving his growing importance to the Amakhosi backline.
Due to his impressive displays Cross was called up for the Bafana Bafana 2025 AFCON preliminary squad, but unfortunately did not make the final squad.
HOW BRADLEY CROSS HAD TO DEAL WITH CRITICISM FROM AMAKHOSI FANS
Reflecting on his transition, Cross admitted that his early days at the club were fraught with difficulty due to the external scrutiny, but he has since found the mental strength to overcome that ordeal.
“Since joining Chiefs, the beginning was a real challenge for me. I spent a lot of time trying to process the noise from the fans and the criticism that came my way,” said Cross. “But I overcame that, and I am proud of myself for doing that, and I am just focusing on improving on each and every game.”
KAIZER CHIEFS LEFT-BACK SLOWLY RETURNING TO ACTION
Providing an update on his recovery, Cross revealed that he has successfully moved into the rehabilitation phase of his treatment.
“Well, I was injured, and I am still doing rehab at the moment. So I would say a couple of more weeks, and I will be back,” he said.
“It’s normal, it’s part of the game like I said, and I have just been focusing on my rehab and focusing on the guys as much as I can from the outside.”
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