WATCH out Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ... Nhlakanipho Ntuli is coming for you.
The youngster is enjoying his season with Jong FC Twente in the Dutch second division where he has been getting plenty of game time since arriving at the start of the campaign.
The 18-year-old, who was called up for Shakes Mashaba's first Bafana Bafana squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan and Nigeria, but left out for the Congo double-header, says he is progressing well and on course to reach his ultimate ambition - to be the best player in the world.
Many may chuckle at that, but it is refreshing for a South African youngster to have such a lofty goal and be so determined to reach it.
"I have been playing a lot of games, 90 minutes back-to-back, so I think I am doing very well," Ntuli told FC Twente TV.
"It does not end there. I need to work harder because my plan is not to stay with Jong Twente, I want to be a complete player and play in the big leagues.
"But I am still a young player, I'm not rushing to play [for the first team] and not rushing to push the coach for me to play.
"I want to stay with Jong Twente for this season and then we see what happens next season. My goal is to be the best player at Twente and then to be the best player in the world."
The versatile Ntuli can play as a striker, where he has featured for the national under-20 side under Mashaba, but is used in a more withdrawn role in Holland.
"I play box-to-box. I wear the number eight, so I must play with aggression, be a leader and be the link between our defending and attacking," he added.
Ntuli will be in action again on Monday when Jong FC Twente host Roda JC in a league match.
Ntuli eyes Messi's crown
WATCH out Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ... Nhlakanipho Ntuli is coming for you.
The youngster is enjoying his season with Jong FC Twente in the Dutch second division where he has been getting plenty of game time since arriving at the start of the campaign.
The 18-year-old, who was called up for Shakes Mashaba's first Bafana Bafana squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan and Nigeria, but left out for the Congo double-header, says he is progressing well and on course to reach his ultimate ambition - to be the best player in the world.
Many may chuckle at that, but it is refreshing for a South African youngster to have such a lofty goal and be so determined to reach it.
"I have been playing a lot of games, 90 minutes back-to-back, so I think I am doing very well," Ntuli told FC Twente TV.
"It does not end there. I need to work harder because my plan is not to stay with Jong Twente, I want to be a complete player and play in the big leagues.
"But I am still a young player, I'm not rushing to play [for the first team] and not rushing to push the coach for me to play.
"I want to stay with Jong Twente for this season and then we see what happens next season. My goal is to be the best player at Twente and then to be the best player in the world."
The versatile Ntuli can play as a striker, where he has featured for the national under-20 side under Mashaba, but is used in a more withdrawn role in Holland.
"I play box-to-box. I wear the number eight, so I must play with aggression, be a leader and be the link between our defending and attacking," he added.
Ntuli will be in action again on Monday when Jong FC Twente host Roda JC in a league match.
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