Ex-Kaizer Chiefs star Nurkovic rubbishes talk of flopping at Amakhosi

• The striker spent three seasons at Naturena
• His contract was not renewed
• He is now building a new life at Royal AM

WHAT HAPPENED? The Serb was one of the 12 players released by Kaizer Chiefs at the end of the last season. He found a new home at Royal AM, a club he is yet to feature for in an official match. Nurkovic is close to returning to competitive action after playing in the Macufe Cup on Sunday. After enjoying a terrific start to life at Chiefs by scoring 13 Premier Soccer League goals in his first season, Nurkovic went on to struggle in the last two terms at Naturena.

Injuries haunted him, especially last season when he managed just 13 league appearances and scored one goal. While there has been talk that he was a flop at Naturena, Nurkovic opens up and boldly declares that he was a better player when he left Chiefs than when he arrived.

WHAT THEY SAID: “I was happy with my performance at Chiefs and unfortunately I had a lot of injuries,” Nurkovic told iDiski Times. “I think that was the unfortunate part. But I left Chiefs with my full heart, I left Chiefs as a better player – and that is how the professional player should think. When you have a contract, you just have to make sure that you give all yourself to the club and I did that.

"Now I’m at Royal AM and I will try to do my best as well. I’m happy to be back and happy to have won this trophy [Macufe Cup]. To have lasted that long, I felt good. I mean we agreed with the coaches, which time they will have to take me off because it was my first game after a long time. So it was enough and I’m really happy to be back."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Chiefs offloaded Nurkovic as well as other strikers Leonardo Castro and Lazarous Kambole but are struggling to find a reliable gunslinger. New acquisition Ashley du Preez has been struggling while Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana has just shown some glimpses of what he can do. It is to be seen if the Amakhosi forwards will rise to justify their signing and not make the club miss Nurkovic and company.

STORY IN THREE PHOTOS:

Royal AM

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WHAT NEXT FOR NURKOVIC? Nurkovic will now have to prove to Chiefs that he is not a spent force. An injury-free Nurkovic would want to steer Royal AM to greater heights, especially since they are playing in the Caf Confederation Cup.