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Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Keagan Buchanan says his grandfather was a real inspiration to him growing up, and he views club legend Thabo Mooki as his idol.
Buchanan failed to make a real impact in his debut season for Amakhosi as he battled to come back from a serious knee injury.
In 2016/17, he made just six league appearances although it appears he is still in the club's long-term plans.
The playmaker wasn't one of the players released by Amakhosi's management on Tuesday, suggesting 2017/18 will be a season to prove himself.
Nonetheless, the 26-year-old explained what inspires him to be a footballer.
"(My grandfather) played such a big role in my life. He brought me to school, to training, watched training and took me back home afterwards," he told the club's official website.
"My parents were both working. His death was a huge shock."
Buchanan grew up in the Athlone district Kew Town, which is close to the Athlone Stadium.
“We can even see the stadium from our house,” Buchanan says.
Living so close to the Athlone Stadium meant that Keagan regularly watched soccer games, mostly with his father, especially to see his favourite player, Mooki.
"Thabo is the reason I became a Kaizer Chiefs supporter,” he reflects.
