Pieterse happy to fight for his place
SuperSport ready to let him go if an offer comes in.
Even though SuperSport United goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse was told by CEO Stanley Matthews the club would not stand on his way should an offer for his services come in, Pieterse says he has not handed in a transfer request.
The former Kaizer Chiefs shot-stopper joined United in 2016 and has made 30 appearances since as an understudy to long-serving Ronwen Williams, who has been at the club since the age of 12.
“I still have one year left on my contract and I am looking to let it run, but if something happens then it will happen,” Pieterse told Phakaaathi Plus.
“For me now it is just to concentrate because I am a SuperSport United player and my head is all here and I don’t want to focus on anything else but that,” he added.
Goalkeepers are, by all accounts, the least substituted players on the pitch and a club’s number one is most likely to play more matches than the 10 outfield players. This then reduces the other goalkeepers to the bench or to a seat in the stands.
“It is football, unfortunately in my position only one man plays and at SuperSport we really have good goalkeepers and the competition is very good. In the end it is then a coach’s choice on who he prefers and who he wants to play, that’s his job. Our job is to do our best on the field and give him a
headache,” said Pieterse.
The 26-year-old admits that sitting on the bench does take its toll, having warmed the bench at Amakhosi.
“We all want to play and we all want to contribute to the success of the team … that is what we all want to do, but like I have mentioned, only one man can play and at the end of the day you need to be patient.”
Seemingly, SuperSport are already preparing for life without Pieterse. United have brought in veteran goalkeeper Washington Arubi. The Zimbabwean returns to the capital city where he spent four years with the University of Pretoria. United have also signed striker James Keene, who last season was at Bidvest Wits.