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Cape Town - Cape Town City boss Eric Tinkler has admitted to being surprised at the impact Lebogang Manyama has made this season.
Former Ajax Cape Town, SuperSort United and Black Aces attacking midfielder Manyama has taken the league by storm this season and was announced by the Premier Soccer League on Monday as the Player of the Month for October, November and December.
Tinkler admitted however that he had not entertained especially high hopes for the City skipper when first arriving at the club in the middle of last year.
"You know, I was not a Manyama fan when I arrived at the club to be honest," the former Pirates coach was quoted saying by the Cape Times.
"When you are looking from the outside, you see differently. But when I finally met the person, I immediately saw a leader, someone who plays with no fear and is not scared to express himself."
Manyama has gone onto the captain his side to the top of the Premiership standings and to the Telkom Knockout trophy, and has netted nine goals in 16 league encounters - just two less than the league's leading marksman, Tendai Ndoro.
But the 26-year-old is not interested in personal accolades.
"I hear a lot of people talk about that," he said.
"But I often don't think about myself when I play because when a team-mate is in a better scoring position I would rather give the ball to him."
