Jamie ready to fill big shoes
Dean’s exit seen as an opportunity
After Super Sport United coach Kaitano Tembo challenged Jamie Webber to step up and replace departed Dean Furman, the midfielder says he is ready for the challenge.
With Furman having left the club, Tembo said he will show faith in emerging players like Webber, Teboho Mokoena, Sipho Mbule and Jesse Donn.
All four players are still under 24 and Tembo feels this is the right time for them to show their capabilities.
“It is an opportunity for me and the other guys as well because Dean was a key player, he was the captain,” Webber said.
“He was guiding us and we looked up to him. But now that he is not here anymore, we have to take the matter into our own hands. We have to play well for the club. I think we have the ability. It will be a great opportunity for us to even build a good relationship for the years to come.”
The 22-year-old made 11 appearances for Matsatsantsa a Pitori before the season was interrupted by Covid-19.
He feels this is a perfect opportunity to cement a regular place in the starting lineup.
“I think he [Tembo] is very confident in us. There was one game that he played the three of us [Mokoena, Mbule, and Webber]. I think it was against Bloemfontein Celtic. He tried us and I know he was playing the three of us because he knew Dean was going to leave,” Webber continued.
“I know for sure that he got full confidence in us and I think we will just have to take the pressure and we’ve [got] to man up because we are young but old enough.”
Webber was pleased with his side having returned to training this week and can’t wait to start playing after a full recovery from a back injury he sustained in December.
“We’ve started training in groups. Hopefully after this we will start training as a team.
“We can’t play 11 v 11 and small-sided games but what we get at training is still effective. It is not bad. We will get used to it.”