Kagisho Dikgacoi played more games for Crystal Palace than any of his other clubs, so when Soccer Laduma caught up with the former midfielder, we looked back on his time in London and how he forged a close friendship with current Premier League star Wilfried Zaha.
Check Out: Khumalo: I Sat Next To Beckham When I First Arrived At Spurs
How did your move to Crystal Palace come to be?
After my first season at Fulham, Liverpool were interested in Roy Hodgson, and for a few players it would be difficult for them to break into the team because the new manager brings in new staff and his own players. Sometimes I would make the squad, sometimes I wouldn't, and at that time they had brought in Mark Hughes, and I felt as if I wasn't getting enough game time. But then my agent got to meet up with Dougie Freeman, who was the manager at Crystal Palace at that point. They were in the Championship, and I thought I should go help the team because they were in the relegation zone. I went in there and I played all the games that were left, and he showed interest again, because it was a loan move first, but he showed interest again and told me they had ambitions of getting the team promoted so I then joined them permanently.
Did your time in the Championship ensure that you had a better experience in the Premier League with Palace compared to your first spell in the English top flight with Fulham?
Yeah, I would say so. Especially because at Fulham, I obviously managed to play a couple of games getting used to the environment, but then there would be times I wouldn't even be named on the bench. So moving from a Premier League club to the Championship, getting more game time, still getting used to the culture of English football helped me a lot. Though I never got to achieve what I would've liked with Crystal Palace, or any English club for that fact, it did help me a lot. I rate the Championship among one of the best leagues in Europe. It's exciting, it's tough, it's challenging. I mean look at Lyle [Foster]. He went to the Championship and he probably thought, 'I am leaving a first division side in Belgium and I am going to a second division side in England', but here we are, it paid off because his team Burnley are promoted. I am hoping that he will get chances, get more game time so that he can get used to the English football culture, and hoping he can get his chance in the Premier League next season.
Check Out: Furman: Pienaar Hit Me With An Eshibobo I'll Never Forget
You had the pleasure of playing with a young Wilfried Zaha at Cardiff City and Palace. What was it like sharing a dressing room with him?
It was good playing alongside Wilf. At that young age, there were signs of a promising player. He loved football, whenever he would see a football, he would go juggle the ball and do his tricks. It was good to see him improving and from then on this boy would definitely make it out there. He got to sign with Manchester [United], things didn't go well. He went to Cardiff, things never went well there too, but it's good see him still playing and being one of the best players in the Premier League. From a very young age, everyone could see that there is talent there. I enjoyed playing alongside him. We were close friends also from our time at Cardiff and at Crystal Palace, before he became the Wilfried Zaha we know today. He also got to improve his game after Yannick Bolasie came in; he was also one of the good players I played alongside.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
WATCH VIDEO:
