It's rare for a South African player to go straight from the PSL to the Premier League in England, but Kagisho Dikgacoi holds the honour of being one of the few to do so, and it was quite the journey.
Leaving Golden Arrows for Fulham in London caught Dikgacoi by surprise, but he made the most of the opportunity he got. Soccer Laduma spoke to the former Bafana Bafana midfielder to share details from his journey of playing in arguably the biggest league in the world, with and against some of the biggest stars football has seen.
The clubs
I joined Fulham in 2008. I had a great time there. It was amazing and hopefully I will go back as a coach. I also had the best time there. The fans and everyone at the team were great. It was the best.
How the deal happened
It was in 2008 when we played against Australia in the UK. The club saw me there and they invited me for two weeks. I spent two weeks there and they showed an interest and they promised to sign me up for the next season. That's how the move happened. It did take me by surprise, but that's what I usually say to say to young boys. I tell the boys to make use of opportunities because you never know who is out there watching you. The move to Palace happened when I was not getting much game time at Fulham and I was brought in on loan. We helped the team survive in the Championship and they had ambitions of getting promoted the following season. So, they called me back the second season. In my time in England, I did attract attention, in Spain and Greece. In Greece, it was Panathinaikos, but I can't remember which team exactly was interested in me (in Spain). I remember having that discussion with my agent back then, which was Mike (Makaab). This was while I was at Palace, from Fulham.
My first day in Europe
It was kind of boring. I felt lonely, but only for a couple of days, until I got used to the environment. We had a player from Ghana, John Paintsil, who made my stay easier. I had to get used to the weather, the food. It was totally different, but I got used to that in no time. Once you start getting used to the environment, that's when things become easy.
My debut
For the league game, I think it was against West Ham. It's one I want to forget about because I got a red card (laughs). I started the game. I got a lot of encouraging words from the coach (Roy Hodgson), but I was feeling a bit worried because I got an opportunity to start and I knew I would have to fight to get back into the team after my suspension. So, it's something that got me worried, but I kept on working hard to get into the starting line-up.
The rands and cents
Look, the difference at that time in earning (from the PSL to the Premier League) was not that much because at the time the rand was still a bit powerful and the tax that side was about 50 percent, so there wasn't much of a difference. There was a difference, but not too much. They say for the high earners there, the tax is 50 percent.
The best player I played with
There is a lot that I can mention, but I think it would have to be Wilfried Zaha. He was the best I played with. He would always win us games. He played his football without any fear. He was still young at the time and he was brave. He would score goals and he would dribble past defenders. He was special.
The best player I played against
I am trying to think, but I think I'd say Aaron Ramsey at that time when he was at Arsenal. He was at the peak of his career. He was playing his best football at the time. His movements were clever and he would be all over causing problems for us in the midfield. He would find those small pockets most of the time and he would create opportunities for his teammates and he would also score goals.
My biggest highlight
I could mention two highlights. The first one is when we reached the (UEFA) Europa League final when I was at Fulham. Another one is winning promotion to the English Premier League with Crystal Palace from the Championship. With Fulham, I was on the bench in the Europa League final against Atletico Madrid, but it meant a lot for me because it was the first time. Before reaching the final, we had played tough opposition like Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk. If I remember well, I think we beat Juventus 3-0 at home. With Palace, we were the underdogs. Everyone was hoping for Brighton to win and they were tough opposition. They were playing good football under Gus Poyet and we created history for the club.
Worst moment
I don't really have one, to be honest. I can't think of one.
Any current PSL players who can play overseas?
There are quite a few, but some are not from South Africa. Peter (Shalulile) could still make it out there. Two or three years ago, I'd say Themba (Zwane), but now one is ageing and the pace is going down. If you look at the intensity of the Premier League or La Liga, it's high. Like I said, two or three years ago, one would have said Themba could make it there. Lyle (Foster) is there (with Burnley FC) and he is doing well. I am hoping he will get an opportunity. He is still young and he is working hard. He should just grab any opportunity he gets.
