Experienced Bafana Bafana defender Morgan Gould may be battered and bruised, but he remains up for the fight, writes WADE PRETORIUS in SoccerClub magazine.
If ever there were a professional’s footsteps to follow, they would be Morgan Gould’s. The Soweto-born defender has seen it all and fought his way to the top, proving himself among the nation’s best. At 33 and discarded by Kaizer Chiefs, he must do it all over again.
Gould has had to face up to it all; a ruptured Achilles tendon, serious knee and ankle injuries, the harsh spotlight of Chiefs’ critics and finally being told he has no future at Naturena.
Still, he refuses to give up and make the move beyond the pitch. The veteran still believes in himself and has been a given a chance by Stuart Baxter at SuperSport United to silence his critics.
‘It’s just one of those things in football, you want to keep playing. There comes a time in your life when it’s bound to happen, when you have to leave football, but God alone knows what the future holds for me,’ he tells SoccerClub.
Taking Chiefs’ snub in his stride, Gould knows bitter disappointment is as much a part of the game as the highest highs. ‘There are a lot of ups and downs. You can never be too familiar with football; it’s one of the things that got me out of trouble and off the streets. So I can’t say I’m done with the sport, you can never leave football.’
The hard-as-nails centre back has come up against the very best, suffered the bumps and bruises and can’t wait to do it all again.
‘I think, with all my setbacks, I just get tougher and with every obstacle that I come across, my skin becomes thicker and I drive on. I fight to get better at what I wasn’t good at before.’
Gould is very aware of who he is, and where he came from, and is determined to be a role model for those looking for an example of what can be achieved, despite limited resources.
‘I want to show the kids in the township, or any kids for that matter, who might be looking at me and saying, “This guy’s been bashed, he’s been battered but still he comes back.”
‘That’s what motivates me, if I was a kid looking at myself, what would I want to say? What would I want to be saying to that kid? What message am I sending to them?’
Criticism is part of the game but as a player for Kaizer Chiefs, the negative words from the club’s demanding fans are often louder and harsher. The South African international insists his refusal to hang up his boots is not about proving people wrong.
‘No, I’m not about that, I’m not about the haters and I’m not about proving myself to anybody.
‘It’s about the love I have for the game and what it has taught me. Soccer took me off the dusty streets.’
The game rescued Gould from trouble and he remains intent on shining a positive light on what others can achieve from similar backgrounds, even if only for just a little while longer.
Gould Cares
Morgan Gould recently launched his foundation, which is a non-profit organisation that aims to empower youth through sport and recreation. ‘I’m trying to give back to the youth, teach them a better way and show them that there is someone who comes from the same place as them and that if I can achieve success, they can too.’
Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
– This article first appeared in issue 73 of SoccerClub magazine.
