Guess who's In The Spotlight this week? It is ex-SuperSport United, Golden Arrows and Jomo Cosmos goalkeeper Sherwin Naicker, who reveals that a current Ballon d'Or Awards nominee was his best friend during their academy days.
Growing up, who was your idol?
"Rowen Fernandez. I loved him a lot. He and Moeneeb Josephs. The two of them were my favourite keepers in South Africa.
"Rowen, I used to love his distribution, he is the first one who started that volley kick of Itumeleng Khune.
"And Moeneeb, I just loved that he was crazy, the way he was mad. He didn't care, he was always his original self."
Which team did you support?
"Mamelodi Sundowns.
"My dad once took me to a Kaizer Chiefs v Sundowns game at the old FNB Stadium. I just liked the way Sundowns played, and I grew up in Pretoria, in Laudium.
"So, my rugby team was the Blue Bulls and my soccer team was Sundowns. Remember, the SuperSport United Academy was in Laudium.
"I still love Sundowns, even today, my man."
Who was the most influential person in your career?
"It has to be my father, but coaching-wise the most influential person was Kwanele Kopo.
"Kopo always fought with me, always. But he treated me very well outside of the fighting. He was a good coach, I learned a lot from him.
"He gave me an opportunity. He gave me confidence. So, he was very important in my football career growing up."
How did you get your big break?
"I was in the SuperSport United Academy and Kopo was my coach. He used to push for the younger guys to train with the first team, and Gavin Hunt used to watch our games.
"It was the close relationship that Kopo had with Gavin and the Academy. We were able to interact with the first team a lot. I was training with the first team before I got signed."
Who was your best friend in football?
"Ronwen Williams. He was the first person I ever met at the Academy. I went to a school where all the academy players went, and by chance, we were in the same class, Ronwen and I. We spent a lot of time together."
What do you dislike about football?
"Just the stuff outside of football, like the politics. The outside interference and player selection are annoying. It's not easy in football, you know."
How can you describe your style of play?
"I think I was a good shot-stopper. I did well playing out from the back. I could pass the ball pretty well. I was a bit brave also, and I was pretty vocal as well."
Which TV programme is your favourite?
"I don't even watch TV right now. I have a son now, and he doesn't sleep. I used to watch House of the Dragon on DStv. It's a spin-off of Game of Thrones."
Which opponent gave you sleepless nights?
"Jeremy Brockie. He was a problem, man. He was a good finisher who used to shoot very hard. 80% of the chances when he is alone [one-on-one] with you, he is scoring."
If you could live anywhere in the world...
"I'd like to live in Japan. It's a dream of mine to go there, I love the culture and its people the way they have respect. They just have a nice way of living in Japan. It's different to the rest of the world."