Phumelele Bhengu reveals why he decided to sign with Moroka Swallows instead of Bloemfontein Celtic, despite the latter having offered him a more lucrative contract, in this edition of Negotiating Behind The Scenes.
Nicknamed 'Ace', Bhengu was billed as the next Benni McCarthy at one stage, but his career took a wrong turn and he ultimately disappeared after a prolonged spell in the lower ranks.
How did you find out Swallows were interested?
"Remember, I was already in their development ranks. I was 17 years old when I got promoted. I had been the top goalscorer in the Bay Hill Cup U17 tournament, scoring seven goals.
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"I was spotted by Celtic because of my good performance in the Bayhill. Along with Mark Mayambela, who was with the Old Mutual Academy, I had an outstanding tournament. The people from Celtic took our phone numbers and promised to call us when it was time to sign contracts.
"When I returned to Jozi, I told Swallows that I was going home for a visit, but the biggest mistake I made was informing my father about the interest from Celtic. When I got to Bloemfontein, I found players like Moses Spandeel. During training, Mayambela and I impressed the coaches. He signed his contract right there, and I was faced with a dilemma.
"I had to go back to Gauteng, where I was attending school. The Celtic boss, Jimmy Augousti, was offering me a salary of R30 000 a month, plus a R100 000 signing bonus. Imagine receiving R100 000 at the age of 17! He told me: 'For now, you can go back to Jozi to pack your things. By Wednesday, we will send someone to fetch you.'
"When I got to Jozi, I shared everything with my father - I was so excited. That week, the MTN8 was about to kick off. However, my father, behind my back, informed the Swallows management about my situation, and before I knew it, I was ordered to train with the first team.
"Swallows manager Mr. (Bennett) Mtshali personally came to take me to training. I tried to fake an injury, but he insisted that we go. My mind was still in Bloemfontein.
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"When I arrived at Swallows training, Mtshali placed a contract on the car's bonnet and said, 'Sign here! You are playing on Wednesday'. I looked at the salary section, it stated R8 000 per month, with a signing bonus of R30 000. I ended up signing, albeit reluctantly. I felt forced to sign and did so with a heavy heart."
Did you get what you wanted?
"Yes, they kept their promise because they were aware of my situation. The salary was paid into my father's bank account."
Did you see out the contract?
"No, I didn't. I had signed for five years, but when Gordon Igesund arrived, we didn't see eye-to-eye. But that's a story for another day."
If you could do it again...
"I would stay in Bloemfontein and not return to Jozi. The mistake we often make as youngsters is that we don't understand the value of what we deserve."