It can be said that when Hugo Broos first called up Luke Le Roux for Bafana Bafana's friendlies against Sierra Leone and Botswana last September, he caught a lot of people unawares, so to put it. But to his credit, the central midfielder has not put a foot wrong whenever given a run by the Belgian, showing his quality and why he is playing abroad, where he has been making waves for Swedish side Varbergs BoIS. With the uncompromising coach not hesitant to give young talents a chance, the world is Le Roux's oyster right now, and don't be surprised to see him boarding the flight to Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations next year. Soccer Laduma's Kyle Lewis sat down with the 23-year-old to talk about why he was impatient at SuperSport United, his contract situation at the club where he was Player of the Season last season, reported interest from Kaizer Chiefs, and more…
Kyle Lewis: Kyle, welcome to the pages of Soccer Laduma. First of all, tell us about the journey you've undergone in football and what attracted you into a career as a footballer.
Luke Le Roux: Football runs in my family. Since I was a little boy, I was always playing around with the ball and that is the only thing I wanted to do. If there is one person who saw my talent, it was my father. He knew from that time already that I would be a footballer one day. Credit to him, he can see talent and he is my role model. My journey started with Nelsons FC, a local club from Idas Valley, where I am from. After that, I moved onto Maties and after that I went to Ajax Cape Town. Two years later, I went back to Maties, before leaving for SuperSport United at the age of 15, where I signed a professional contract.
LA: Making the big jump from Matsatsantsa's DStv Diski Challenge side to Sweden, where you linked up with Varbergs BoIS, what was that like?
LLR: It was a challenge, of course. We all know what happened at SuperSport at the time. I was not happy, so I decided to look for another challenge, which I felt came at the right time. It was difficult to adapt to Sweden, you know – the lifestyle and weather. It was hard. After a few months, I got used to it and I think it was something I needed in my life at that time.
KL: Did your unhappiness stem from the fact you felt you deserved more chances with the first team?
LLR: Look, I was very young and I was playing with experienced players. They had the likes of very experienced players such as Dean Furman, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Teboho Mokoena playing in my position. I feel like I could have played some minutes here and there, but I also have to understand who I am competing with. I believe everything happens for a reason and maybe it was not my time to play. Thankfully to God, I am here where I am today.
KL: Playing in a different country can often be a difficult adjustment, with the potential to leave a player feeling isolated. It must have helped to have fellow South African footballers Tashreeq Matthews and Keanin Ayer there with you.
LLR: When I arrived, Keanin was already here while Tassie and I knew each other from Ajax Cape Town. This definitely helped, it made the process a lot easier. We had one another's back and this benefitted us. I helped him when he needed me and he did the same for me. This was really good for us.
KL: You instantly became a vital cog in the Varbergs team. Just how important has manager Joakim Persson been for your development as a player?
LLR: The manager is a really good guy and a good coach. He knows what he wants from us. He believes in young players and trusts players to deliver. Persson was the one who wanted me here and I came for a trial in 2019. After two days of training, he said that he wanted to sign me. He told me once that I remind him a lot of himself as he was a midfielder in his playing days, so that is good.
KL: Luke, you won the club's Player of the Season award in November 2022. Would you say that has been the highlight of your time there?
LLR: Yes, for sure. The first year I came here, I was trying to adapt to the football, get used to it and get some game-time. Second and third year is when I really showcased my talent, and definitely (that was) my proudest moment. Not that I am just playing for that, but it is good to be recognised by the club and coaches for all the hard work you put in.
KL: There are reports that your contract is expiring at the end of 2023. Are you in talks with your club about a renewal?
LLR: To be honest, right now we're not really thinking about the renewal or the contract situation. We're focused on the season that lies ahead. Whatever happens will happen.
KL: Would a move back to South Africa interest you in the future?
LLR: At the moment, I am quite happy where I am. I am enjoying my football at the moment, but this is football, you never know what can happen and I believe that everything will happen at the right time. God will put me in the right place at the right time. For now, I am just enjoying playing.
KL: Other reports have it that Kaizer Chiefs are keen on signing you. Have you ever been contacted by their camp?
LLR: No contact to me or my agent at all. I just read about it, but it is just rumours, you know. Anyone can write these kinds of things. It is good to read these kind of things, but right now my focus is just on Varbergs and the season that lies ahead.
KL: Take us back to how you felt when you got your first Bafana Bafana call-up…
LLR: I mentioned earlier about how winning the Player of the Season was my proudest moment at Varbergs, but this was probably the proudest moment of my life. Since you are a young boy, you watch Bafana Bafana on television and you always wish that one day you will be playing for the national team. This was a very special feeling. It is so hard to explain… it just gives you goosebumps. It is such a special feeling to represent your country and I am thankful to the coaches who selected me. I just have to make sure I do my thing on the field. But regarding the call-up, it was a very great feeling because I missed the U20 World Cup for Amajita when I was injured, I missed the Olympics when I did not make the final squad, so making the top (senior national) team was a very great feeling for me.
KL: Having represented the country at a young age, was your first Bafana call-up any different from previous experiences?
LLR: Definitely a level up because Bafana Bafana is the highest level you can go. To be selected means you are one of the best players in the country. It is a special feeling and one I will forever be grateful for.
KL: You were part of the special team that has taken South Africa to next year's Afcon. Can you give us an insight into what the dressing room was like before the second qualifier against Liberia?
LLR: Look, after we drew at home against Liberia, immediately we started focusing on the next away game and I, as a young player in the team, could feel that everyone around me was very confident that we could go there and get a win. I could see in the players' eyes and the way they were talking and acting that we would go on to win. Everyone in the dressing room believed we could get the victory and that is what we showed. It was more about the mental side and we did it for South Africa.
KL: Prior to the victory against the Lone Stars, a lot of criticism was aimed at the national team, with many beginning to doubt the squad's ability. How did you guys block out the noise?
LLR: In today's world, no matter how good or bad you do, people will always talk, so for us as footballers, we really try to block that out and we do not focus on that at all. It is just about us, what we can do better and what we can do in the next game. I think the players dealt with it very well.
KL: Being in the Bafana camp means you are among the cream of the crop of South African talent, like you said. Was there any player, in particular, that really impressed you in the camps you've been?
LLR: Over the years, I have watched Themba Zwane play, but I never had the chance to train with him, but when I played with him, I just went, "Wow! This guy is something special!"
KL: By the way, growing up, was there any midfielder that you idolized or wanted to play like?
LLR: Maybe not play like, but when I was younger, I looked out for midfielders like Granwald Scott, Thulani Serero, Teko Modise and Bongani Zungu. They were players with different attributes, but these were the kind of players I looked up to.
KL: Hugo Broos is often described as a strict and no-nonsense type of manager. He looks and talks the part too. Would that be an accurate description of him as a coach, in your opinion?
LLR: He knows what he wants. A very straightforward coach. He tells you what he expects from you and if you do not do it, then you're not going to play. But he is a very good coach and a very good guy.
KL: You have become a key figure in Bafana under Broos in 2023. Would you say that you two clicked from the get-go?
LLR: Coach Hugo is a manager who likes players playing abroad, so I think that was an advantage for me. He helped me a lot also as he knows what he can get from me. When the coach needs you, you just have to do it. Any coach in the world, you have to do what the manager says if you want to play.
KL: Before we let you go, we gotta ask you this. Who would you say is the toughest player you have faced so far in your career?
LLR: Real Madrid's Vini Jr. When we played Brazil, he was not that well-known, but whenever he had the ball, it was like no one could take it off him. Vini was playing as if he was on the street as he did what he wanted to. We all saw this player, we did not know him and a few years later, we said, "Uh-huh!" Malmo's Anders Christiansen is another player that has brought me some tough battles.
LUKE LE ROUX FACT FILE
Date of birth: 20 March 2000
Place of birth: Cape Town, Western Cape
Nickname: Lukie
Position: Midfielder
Jersey number: 8
Club: Varbergs BoIS FC (Sweden)
Honours: 2016 U17 COSAFA Cup Player of the Tournament, 2017 U19 Bayhill Premier Cup winner (with SuperSport), 2018 U20 COSAFA Cup winner, 2022 Varbergs BoIS Player of the Year, 5 Bafana Bafana caps
