What they say about Norodien I prefer him at number 10

We spoke to some of the coaches who’ve worked or are currently working with Riyaad Norodien to find out what they think of him as a player. Here’s what they had to say…

They had a heart-to-heart Vasili Manousakis – Cape Town City assistant coach

“Yeah, look, Riyaad is exactly the type of player we were looking for – he is young and energetic, he’s got speed, he’s got skill and he is powerful. I think he was a little bit unlucky with the niggling injuries. He started in our first game, but had these minor injuries. He started like a house on fire, but he is back now and the coach had a chat with him and they had a heart-to-heart. He has responded well and scored a great goal against Maritzburg United when he came on. He will be starting more often than coming off the bench going forward. He’s a good boy with a good attitude. He is still young with a long way to go and he is at the right club.”

Muhsin Ertugral – Former Ajax Cape Town head coach

“He was in the Ajax Cape Town system from a very young age and we wanted to use him early, but we couldn’t use him because of some complications. He could have got his professional debut at 17 years old, but he was blocked by a court case and the club eventually won the rights to play him. Wingers at Ajax were used in the U section and he was one of the most complete wing players there. But I prefer him more at number 10, where he is very good at eliminating players and is able to shoot with both feet. All he needs now is to play regularly.”

What a lot of people don’t know about him… Rhulani Mokwena – Orlando Pirates assistant coach

“I think, from our side, we were sad to let him go, but it was important for him to get back to an environment that will make him feel easy to stimulate his performances and take his football career where it should be, at the highest level, and get him to show the potential that he showed while he was at Ajax Cape Town. The club allowing him to go back to Cape Town was just for him to feel a bit more happiness and get back into an environment where it is his natural habitat and he could find a little bit more comfort and then that could possibly stimulate better performances from him, and we have seen glimpses of that now. We know that he’s a very good player. He is a player that we admire greatly at Orlando Pirates for his technical ability and his flexibility to play left or right wing and at number 10 because of his comfort to play between the lines. And what a lot of people don’t know about him is that he is very intelligent and he will make a great coach one day. I have always enjoyed football discussions with him. He doesn’t only have the ability to absorb, but he is also able to stimulate the football discussion and his understanding of football is of the highest order. He is one of the most intelligent players in the country. He left with the chairman’s blessings and we wish that he resurrects his career at City, and we wish him all the best. He served Orlando Pirates with aplomb.”