Orlando Pirates' Yusuf Maart has discussed his debut appearance for the Soweto giants following his first-team debut in their Nedbank Cup clash.
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The youngster came on as a second-half substitute for Oupa Manyisa in the 3-1 win for Bucs against EC Bees on the weekend.
Speaking on the club's official website, Maart explained his jump from the Multichoice Diski Challenge side to the first team.
"I'm happy to have made my debut and to have carved out some space for myself. I had mixed emotions. I was excited and nervous at the same time….excited because this was a dream come true but also nervous because of the weight of expectation. This is not an ordinary jersey; many great players have worn it and many of them have left their mark and I would like to do the same one day," Maart told Pirates' website.
Maart finished the MDC season having scored seven goals for Pirates.
"Everything has happened very quickly. I did not anticipate turning professional in only my first MDC season. This was really unexpected but also rewarding because it shows that my hard work didn't go unnoticed.
"Traveling with the first team players was an amazing experience but not completely new because during our away trips with the Multichoice Diski Challenge, we experienced the same admiration from our supporters.
"The real change of mindset came on the day of the match. I think that is when reality hit me. Sitting on the bench and seeing the stadium packed the way it was made it even more difficult to settle my nerves.
"When the coach called me to come on I became extremely nervous and I think the coach sensed it because he tried calming my nerves. He told me to relax and enjoy the last minutes of the match. The nerves kicked in again when the substitution board went up and my number was displayed in green next to the captain's (Oupa Manyisa).
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"Overall, I am thankful for the opportunity that the coach gave me and I look to build on this milestone. There is a lot of work to be done but I think I am ready. I feel there is more to come from me but I want to take things slowly and not get ahead of myself too soon," said the youngster.
