Serero was my big hero growing up, says Lorch

Growing up, most players will tell you there was a certain player they looked up to and wished to meet one day. For Orlando Pirates winger Thembinkosi Lorch (right), that player was none other than then Ajax Cape Town midfielder Thulani Serero, who made an incredible impact playing in the Premier Soccer League.

Serero went to be crowned the PSL’s top player during the 2010/2011 season, a feat Lorch would also achieve following his amazing individual performance for Pirates last season, earning him PSL’s Footballer of the Season and Player’s Player of the Season awards.

Lorch revealed his admiration for Serero, now his Bafana Bafana team-mate, during his R10 000 cheque handover to the Ikageng Itereleng home for underprivileged kids in Orlando West a week ago which he won in the Carling Cup back in July, and he was touched to hear the kids calling out his name.

“I never really got a chance to meet a professional player when I was growing up, so I’m really touched by the love shown by the kids and it makes me want to work extra hard,” said Lorch.

“I used to love Thulani Serero as a kid and it happened that I got to play alongside him in the national team. It’s like a dream come true to see someone whom you’ve always seen on TV and end up getting to play with them in the same team.”

Lorch is one of the key players in the Bucs squad this season even though the team is not doing so well. The 26-year winger still has high hopes of playing overseas one day and says Club Brugge striker Percy Tau inspires him.

“I speak with Tau on a regular basis since our days playing in the National First Division. He went back to Mamelodi Sundowns and I went to Chippa United. He inspires me because it shows South Africans are capable of playing overseas.”

Meanwhile, Lorch and his Pirates team-mates will be back in action when they host Stellenbosch FC in the Telkom Knockout at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday.