In this edition of My First Pay Cheque, free agent Ruzaigh Gamildien shares with KickOff why he believes his talent is worth more than R100 000 a month.
Gamildien also reveals how much he used to earn at his former club, Royal AM.
Your first pay cheque in football — how did it come about? Which club were you at?
"My first pay cheque in football was at Santos while I was playing in the Vodacom (now ABC Motsepe) League. It was in 2009 when I received my first pay cheque at Santos after coming through the academy. "
How much was your first pay cheque?
"It was R1,500, and to be honest, I was still in school at the time. However, it allowed me to help my mom with finances. I was 18 years old back then."
How did you celebrate your first pay cheque?
"I bought myself a pair of soccer boots that I had always wanted. They were Adidas, and at the time, they cost around R1,500. I paid for them in installments using a lay-bye."
What did you do with the remaining money?
"I gave all of it to my mom. We were living together in our house, and back then, that amount could buy quite a lot. I already had many of the things I wanted to buy with my first salary."
If you could go back to that day of being promoted, would you ask for more money?
"No, not everyone at the club was getting paid at the time. It was only those who were about to be promoted."
With your talent, how much do you think you’re worth per month, at least?
"[Laughs] With my quality, I shouldn't be earning less than R100 000. We're talking about guaranteed goals every season here.
"I did earn R100 000 a month, but that was only towards the end of my career at Royal AM when I was in high demand."
Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images