English Premiership
Kaboul: SA star will make it
2011-07-19 12:08
Johannesburg - Tottenham Hotspur defender Younes Kaboul believes Bongani Khumalo is destined for great things in the Premier League.
The Bafana Bafana defender signed for Spurs six months ago from
SuperSport United, but barely three months later he was sent on loan to
Preston North End.
His stay there was cut short after fracturing his fifth
metatarsal and now that he has recovered, there is talk of sending him
on loan again to Glasgow Rangers.
Kaboul believes the plan of the Spurs technical team to keep
sending Khumalo on loan doesn't necessarily mean he is not valued at the
club.
"I think Bongani has been learning a lot since he got to England
and I can see that because we play in the same position," he told Football365.co.za.
"He is very happy at the club. I think he has a big chance of
making it in England and South Africans shouldn't panic when he is being
sent on loan because the aim of that is to help him settle to European
football by ensuring that he plays many games instead of him learning
while warming the bench.
"The reality is, coming from Africa is very different to the
football there and I know because I come from Morocco so you have a lot
of things to learn like how they live, so I believe that step by step he
can easily make it because he is definitely a quality player who
deserves to play at the highest level.
Spurs coach Harry Redknapp confirmed on Monday that Rangers have
indeed shown interest to lure Khumalo to Ibrox on a season-long loan.
"Rangers did show interest, but I haven't spoken to Bongani about it," Redknapp revealed.
"I think it will do him good to go play somewhere on loan. It can
only improve him. We are very pleased with him. He is a great lad with a
great attitude."