Caper Town - Orlando Pirates coach Muhsin Ertugral has sung the praises of Gladwin Shitolo and touted the defender to feature for Bafana Bafana in the near future.
The 26-year-old featured as a substitute in Pirates' 2-0 loss to arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Carling Black Label Cup on Saturday at the FNB Stadium.
Shitolo returned to Mayfair at the end of the 2015/16 season after a successful loan spell with Golden Arrows, where he featured in 32 matches across all competitions.
Arrows coach Clinton Larsen indicated his desire to sign Shitolo on a permanent basis but he was maintained by his parent club, and Ertugral believes he is one for the future.
"Shitolo is a surprise package. He is the prototype player that can be versatile in different situations," Ertugral told Goal.com website.
"He has incredible talent and I can put my hand up and say that he is a future Bafana Bafana player definitely.
"Shitolo has been on loan and we saw how well he did last season in midfield and in defence for Arrows. His versatility gives a different dimension.
"We need players like him and Edwin [Gyimah] who are not your typical centre-back; they have something a little bit more special."