Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana says he "was never the same person" following an encounter with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in England more than a 20 years ago.
A trip to Manchester for a schools tournament proved to be mentality-changing for the gritty midfielder, who still hears Ferguson's words ringing in his head.
Ferguson, a guest in the stands, was impressed after watching a 12-year-old Kekana in action against a school from Luxembourg.
The former Manchester United boss then predicted a bright future for Kekana, who went on to claim six Premier Soccer League titles (PSL), a Caf Champions League trophy and a Caf Super League crown among his career accolades.
Kekana says after meeting Ferguson, he did not see anything blocking his way to stardom although he faced rejection at SuperSport United, where Gavin Hunt reportedly deemed him as surplus before shipping him out to Bloemfontein Celtic.
“It was just surreal [meeting Ferguson],” Kekana told Far Post.
“After watching us play against a school from Luxembourg, he came up to me and asked for my name. I told him with my broken English.
"He then said, ‘if football is what you want to do, I can see you playing anywhere in the world with that attitude.’
"I was never the same person after hearing those words. I knew I had something special. Those words have carried me through all my career.
“I didn’t see anything stopping me after the talk with Sir Alex. I wanted to perfect my passing, I wanted to perfect my shooting. I don’t often score goals but when I do, people talk about them for a while. I score goals that are special.
“Everyone was excited to see this kid wearing an oversize football jersey, enjoying the game.
"But for me, Sir Alex’s words opened the way for me to see football and life differently.
"He said I was such a special kid. Each time I get onto the field to play I think of those words – my attitude has got to be right.”
Despite Kekana being 35 years old now, Mamelodi Sundowns still invested faith in the midfielder who signed a new four-year contract in March.
If he manages to see out his contract, he would be 39 years old by then and would have completed 13 seasons at Sundowns.
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