Vries is ready to soar with Swallows
KAIZER Chiefs reject Virgil Vries feels he does not have anything to prove in South African football after his uninspiring spell with Amakhosi.
The Namibian committed a number of errors during his time with the Glamour Boys and was deemed surplus to requirements before the end of last season.
Vries is now on the books of Swallows FC in the Glad-Africa Championship.
He produced a Man of the Match performance at the weekend against Real King at Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammersdale.
The game ended in a goalless draw and Vries was an influential figure as he kept the visitors at bay with his fantastic performance.
Speaking on Sunday after the match, Vries did not want to comment much about his time at Amakhosi.
“I don’t have to prove myself. People know the goalkeeper that I am. Yes, I made mistakes at Chiefs but mistakes are part of the game. That’s how you learn and that’s how you get better. I have to look at it in a different way. You grow and get better,” Vries explained.
Chiefs were forced to break the bank and acquire the services of a quality goalkeeper last year after Vries committed multiple blunders that saw the club lose points against the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City.
Itumeleng Khune was injured at that time and Amakhosi ended up signing Daniel Akpeyi from Chippa United.
“I don’t want to comment about Chiefs because I’m here at Swallows. What happened at Chiefs is what happened at Chiefs. It is now history. My focus is at Swallows,” he added.
Vries has spent most of his career campaigning in top flight football, enjoying spells with Lamontville Golden Arrows, Maritzburg United, Baroka FC and Amakhosi.
“I won’t say it (going to the lower league) is a step down. Everything in life is a work in progress. You can learn here. Sometimes taking five steps down can help you to come back stronger.
“It is all about the mentality. It depends how you take it as a player. As long as I can play and contribute. That’s the most important thing.” Vries elaborated.
The Namibian is among the group of players hoping to help Moroka Swallows re-establish themselves as a force in the local game after their incredible fall from grace. The Birds were relegated from the elite league and immediately went down from the second tier league to the Motsepe League.
They were rescued when Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi bought the club and helped revive them by acquiring the status of NFD side TS Sporting.
Due to debts owed to players the club is now campaigning merely as Swallows FC instead of Moroka Swallows as per a Fifa directive.