Promising South African youngster Jaylen Potgieter has been signed by the prestigious academy of German Bundesliga side FC Köln.
Potgieter, the son of former South Africa youth international, Shaun Potgieter, put pen to paper with the Bundesliga outfit on Friday afternoon in a deal that will see the 12-year-old officially join the club's academy at the start of next season.
The second-generation footballer predominantly operates as either a centre-back or holding midfielder and has been in Germany since 2020 when his family relocated from South Africa to Cologne for work.
He previously represented Randburg-based Crusaders at U9 and U10 levels where he trained and played under the guidance of former Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana defender, Rene Richards, while he also won the Montrose Night Soccer Challenge Player of the Tournament on two occasions.
Shortly after arriving in Europe, Potgieter was enrolled at a local football club and had the opportunity to train at the German Football Association's Talent Development Programme, all the while being monitored by scouts from Köln and other Bundesliga teams.
The 2010-born youngster's performances at a recently-concluded Talent Development Programme tournament ultimately convinced Köln to offer him an academy contract and he will begin training with the U12 team before being formally registered in the next registration window.
"I'm always in the background trying to advise him but he has got to keep working hard," his father tells snl24.com/kickoff.
"After he signed on Friday, I told him, 'The hard work you put in over the last two years is finished, you have to work even harder now because you took someone's place, and now someone else will be after your place.'
"He's very level-headed and calm but he's passionate," he adds proudly. "If that passion remains there and he does his best, the sky is the limit for him."
Scroll through the gallery below to see the South African players who have played in the Bundesliga