BELIEVE it or not, at 35 and after nearly 300 matches in the Premier Soccer League, Dillon Sheppard still has unfinished business.
The versatile left-footed genius teamed up with his first top-flight football coach in Gavin Hunt at Bidvest Wits this month, and he is dreaming of an explosive combination.
Sheppard claims to have been "closed out" of Maritzburg United at the end of last season by new coach Steve Komphela, whose task was to make sure the KwaZulu-Natal side avoided relegation - which they did.
To do that, two former Bafana players and the oldest members of the squad in Sheppard and Delron Buckley were left in the cold.
Hunt signed Sheppard on a free transfer.
"I was supposed to be there [at Maritzburg] until December and I managed to shorten my contract. I was closed out towards the end for certain reasons," Sheppard said.
"... Gavin knows exactly what I can do, how to use me and when to use me. This is a great privilege and it is important that the coach believes in me and my abilities. I am in great condition because I had a good pre-season and look forward to contributing towards the success of this club."
Sheppard, who was handed his PSL debut by Hunt when he was 18, is not known for sticking with one club and has often been criticised for going where the money is, especially when he left a championship-winning side in Mamelodi Sundowns to join strugglers Platinum Stars as their high-profile signing in 2009.
The Clever Boys hosted the e.tv Charity Showdown at the weekend but were beaten by Bloemfontein Celtic in the first semifinal. However, Sheppard feels Wits fans should not read too much into the pre-season friendly.
Sheppard still going strong
BELIEVE it or not, at 35 and after nearly 300 matches in the Premier Soccer League, Dillon Sheppard still has unfinished business.
The versatile left-footed genius teamed up with his first top-flight football coach in Gavin Hunt at Bidvest Wits this month, and he is dreaming of an explosive combination.
Sheppard claims to have been "closed out" of Maritzburg United at the end of last season by new coach Steve Komphela, whose task was to make sure the KwaZulu-Natal side avoided relegation - which they did.
To do that, two former Bafana players and the oldest members of the squad in Sheppard and Delron Buckley were left in the cold.
Hunt signed Sheppard on a free transfer.
"I was supposed to be there [at Maritzburg] until December and I managed to shorten my contract. I was closed out towards the end for certain reasons," Sheppard said.
"... Gavin knows exactly what I can do, how to use me and when to use me. This is a great privilege and it is important that the coach believes in me and my abilities. I am in great condition because I had a good pre-season and look forward to contributing towards the success of this club."
Sheppard, who was handed his PSL debut by Hunt when he was 18, is not known for sticking with one club and has often been criticised for going where the money is, especially when he left a championship-winning side in Mamelodi Sundowns to join strugglers Platinum Stars as their high-profile signing in 2009.
The Clever Boys hosted the e.tv Charity Showdown at the weekend but were beaten by Bloemfontein Celtic in the first semifinal. However, Sheppard feels Wits fans should not read too much into the pre-season friendly.
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