A former top striker in Mzansi’s topflight has revealed how much he earned with his very first salary as a footballer.

In his professional career, Cape Town-born former striker Alton Meiring played for no less than 10 clubs in a career that started at Hellenic in the Mother City in 1997.

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Now 44 and having retired in 2014 after a stint with Jomo Cosmos, Meiring had memorable spells with Mamelodi Sundowns. AmaZulu and Golden Arrows among other clubs.

Having spent almost 20 years in the professional ranks, Meiring remembers how excited he was when he received his first pay cheque at Hellenic.

“I think we were in Hellenic colts and they started playing us, you know what this is really ridiculous, but they paid us about R1000. Colin Gie made us a group of top youngsters and they started R1000. Bringing a R1000 home back then you almost matched your mother’s salary. You felt like you could count yourself as an adult in the house and someone who is contributing at home,” Meiring told the Siya crew.

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“For me, at the time, it was like getting paid for something you were born with whether it was R10 000 or a R1000 but you’re getting paid for what you love. It wasn’t about the money; it was about going out to do what you love. I only started realizing about the money part when I became a full-time player and some people were earning more than me.,” the 44-year-old recalls.  

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