- Lekgwathi lauds Erasmus' contribution at Pirates
- Erasmus helped the side to a cup double
- He still has the golden boot missing in his locker
WHAT HAPPENED: Former Orlando Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi has described Kermit Erasmus as the best player in the current squad and the kind of player that lifts the performance of the players around him.
Erasmus made his return to Bucs after a failed stint at Mamelodi Sundowns where he spent more time on the bench than on the field. He arrived at Pirates and hit the ground running at the start of last season as he helped the side win a cup double. Lekgwathi says head coach Jose Riveiro needed a player of Erasmus' calibre and experience.
WHAT WAS SAID: "He brought depth into the team because the team needed a balance of senior players and youngsters and we needed someone like Kermit," Lekgwathi told iDiski Times.
"If you look at the striking department, all of them were young or inexperienced. You look at Zakhele Lepasa, young, coming from TS Galaxy, but he lacked the experience of playing for a big team like Orlando Pirates.
"They needed someone to guide him. I think Kermit guided them very well. Look at Terrence Dzvukamanja, he is bending goals and Kermit is complimenting him doing all this hard work. If it’s the two of them people won’t look at him, they will look at Kermit, the focus will be on Kermit and that is where Dzvukamanja punishes them," Lekgwathi added.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Since arriving at the club, Erasmus has played 25 times and instantly became a fan favourite, something that pleases the former skipper, who himself, remains a darling among the Happy People.
“I was happy to see him getting game-time again and working very hard. This is what we spoke about when I met with him to say we needed someone like him at Pirates.”
WHAT'S NEXT: Erasmus promised to bang in 30 goals in his first season at Downs. But after playing about 40 games over two seasons, he only registered a return of nine goals. He has never won the coveted PSL top goalscorer's award - perhaps this is something that he should set his sights on.
