January signing Andre de Jong reveals one PSL legend he hopes to emulate after joining Orlando Pirates

Andre de Jong joined Orlando Pirates in January, already armed with Premier Soccer League experience.

This followed his stints at AmaZulu, Royal AM and Stellenbosch, from where he moved to the Soweto giants.

The attacking midfielder joins a few New Zealand footballers who have graced the PSL, notably former Mamelodi Sundowns forward Jeremy Brockie and Michael Boxall, who previously played for SuperSport United.

“Obviously, there've been a few New Zealanders who played here before, also Michael Boxall, so prior to coming over here I actually chatted to them, and they spoke very highly of the league and the country in general,” said De Jong, as per iDiski Times.

“And so far, my time has been incredible, so yeah – just hoping to emulate some of the stuff Brockie did in front of goal, and if it’s half of what he did, it would be amazing, of course.”

"There are a few contributing factors [into why I found form at Stellenbosch]; one of them is game time. It was massive, and having the support of the technical team at Stellenbosch was massive for me,” said De Jong.

“At AmaZulu I got injured a few too many times and then was in and out of the team, and at Royal AM it was a short stint, but I really found my feet at Stellenbosch; it was a great sort of stepping stone for me.”

“I think Andre has settled in well at the club. His integration was okay. When he arrived, we sat with him, with the technical staff and our analysis department. We showed him everything by the data of what he's able to bring us to the club,” Ouaddou said, as per Soccer Laduma.

“He's a very clever player. Humanely, he’s a top man. He’s a very kind guy and is very ambitious as well. And all the time when we give him time to show what he's able to do, he tries to give his best.”