Tyreese is primed to make his mark in Europe
TEENAGER Tyreese Pillay returned to South Africa over the weekend, after Spanish club Deportivo Leganés headhunted the youngster.
Just four months ago, the 18-year-old was also approached by Italian giant, Bustese Milano City Football Club to debut his skill set with the offer of further opportunities.
This will include the opportunity to show off his talent in Miami later this year.
“I was nervous, but know this is a great opportunity for me. They said they were proud and impressed with my talent. I think if I get picked by the Italian team, I would like to play for AC Milan. I prefer the Spanish team though because it is more my Tiki-taka style of soccer. I am an attacking midfielder now, but would be open to other positions,” said Tyreese.
To date, Tyreese has 12 international caps playing against various countries.
However, his most memorable game was against Brazil, experiencing a final in a stadium of 70 000 fans.
In 2016, he was selected for two World Cup qualifiers among many other international performances abroad, including a trip to India and Mauritius that same year.
The ambitious star began his career at the Supreme Sports Academy of South Africa (Sassa) in Durban and then moved to Joburg at age 12 to further his development.
Tyreese said it was his father Rajen, 45, who noticed his passion for soccer during family-friendly games.
Rajen then enrolled his son at the Pimville Young Stars Soccer Club where his talent was spotted.
In 2014, Tyreese was a captain at the club when he was scouted by Sassa to train and play professionally.
Rajen said: “I am a very proud dad. When I spotted a talent in Tyreese, I put him in professional coaching to groom and nurture this talent. There is a contract in Italy. Although I would be extremely pleased if he signs a professional contract in Spain, there is still a lot of hard work to be put in.”
Since Tyreese joined the Joburg Sassa branch, Durbanbased coach Wanda Mzama has been making regular trips to the City of Gold to train, advise and mentor the teen over the past decade.
In addition, Sassa director, Vela Khumalo, who met Tyreese in 2015, also commented on his talent.
“I come from an educational background, so we always put education first. When he said he was leaving school to pursue soccer full-time this year, we understood, but we are ready to help him complete Grade 12 any time. It is a risk he took, to leave everything for just this year, but he has a lot of talent, and I know he is going to make it.”
He added that it was great that Tyreese was receiving international attention, yet a pity that he was not recognised more locally.
“It is a step in the right direction with his talent. It is not a fluke. He is succeeding outside of South Africa. I think he can play better in Spain, which is more to his style of playing, but players deserve more opportunities locally. We must not just let such talent slip away,” said Khumalo.
Tyreese added that he would love to play for South Africa, but for now, wanted to get as much international experience and exposure as possible.