Veteran midfielder Lantshene Phalane has singled out the missed opportunity of joining Kaizer Chiefs in 2020 as one of his regrets.
Phalane, who is now in the books of Motsepe Foundation Championship side Baroka FC, has played for clubs such as Royal AM, Milano United, Bloemfontein Celtic, and Moroka Swallows.
There was reported interest from Chiefs in 2019 while Phalane was in the books of Celtic. Chiefs were keen on bringing the midfielder to the club and had reportedly made a formal offer.
But Phalane, who was 30 at the time, signed a three-year extension on his contract at Siwelele. This resulted in the possible move to the Soweto giants collapsing.
WHY VETERAN MIDFIELDER STILL HAS REGRETS ABOUT NOT SECURING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A KAIZER CHIEFS MOVE
“If there is one regret that I have was during the 2019/20 season when I was supposed to join Chiefs,” he explained to FARPost.
“I remember the last game before we went to COVID-19, where they beat us 5-3 in Durban. When that season finished, I felt I was ready for that move, but you know what? You can be ready to move, but things don’t go according to plan.
“When you move you should also make sure that it’s the coach that wants you. Sometimes, a club will want you, but when a coach arrives, things change. It’s something that also works against players,” added Phalane.
LANTSHENE PHALANE JUST WANTS TO ENJOY THE FOOTBALL GAME HE LOVES
“What I wanted at the time was to play football. I don’t choose any team; all I want is to play and enjoy football because it’s something that I love. It’s my passion. There will always be regrets and mistakes, but at the end of the day, I do what I love.
“We learn something new every day. So, I would not know how things would have panned out. So at that time, I was playing week in and week out at Celtic. But I thought about it and asked myself questions like, “What if I am not even a benchwarmer, but I am always in the stands?
“Your career goes down the drain. After six months, they give you a loan, and when you go back, they say we part ways. So, you have to start from scratch. That’s how football is; we part ways. So you have to start from scratch. That’s how football is.”
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