English Premiership
Pienaar's frustration mounts
2012-01-15 19:56
Johannesburg - The future of Steven Pienaar at title-chasing Tottenham Hotspur remains a mystery despite Spurs manager Harry Redknapp stating he does not want to sell the Bafana Bafana captain.
The South African midfielder, who has not started a single Premiership match for Spurs this season, stated on Twitter that he had fallen ill with tonsillitis after making a 10-minute token appearance against Everton last Wednesday.
He did not feature among the seven substitutes when North London's Premier League challengers were held to an unexpected 1-1 draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
England's Daily Mail newspaper reported that Spurs had turned down a R35 million offer from relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers for Pienaar, but the diminutive SA captain has made it clear to his club he is not happy with his demotion and ongoing position as a reserve.
Redknapp, who was instrumental in securing the services of Pienaar from Everton a year ago for a fee of R23 million, has stressed that he still regards the South African as a player of quality.
But he has given no indication he intends restoring Pienaar to a place in his starting line-up.
And with midfield players of the calibre of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart, Scott Parker and Aaron Lennon all currently ahead of Pienaar in the pecking order, his chances of securing a regular first-team berth appear remote.
To achieve this, Pienaar might have to make a move elsewhere, despite the high hopes he had when joining Spurs.
Apart from Queens Park Rangers, other clubs reportedly interested in securing Pienaar's services include Sunderland and Aston Villa.
Right now, however, the future of the Bafana skipper remains uncertain and up in the air.