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Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Darren Keet will play for Belgian second-tier side OH Leuven this coming season after signing a one-year deal with the club.
It is a return to the Belgian league for the 30-year-old‚ who previously spent seven successful years in the top-flight with Kortrijk‚ before joining Bidvest Wits in 2016.
Keet turned down a contract extension at Wits at the end of the last campaign‚ saying he wanted to take his young family back to Europe‚ and has now secured a deal at Leuven.
“With the arrival of Darren Keet‚ we will strengthen our core with an experienced goalkeeper. He has both experience at international level‚ as well as in Belgium‚” Leuven technical director Wim De Corte said.
Keet will compete with Thailand international keeper Kawin Thamsatchanan and Belgian Laurent Henkinet.
Leuven are owned by the Thailand-based King Power International Group‚ who also own English Premier League side Leicester City in a similar arrangement to Percy Tau’s former side Royal Union St-Gilloise‚ who had the same owners as Brighton & Hove Albion.
Leuven were last in the Belgian top-flight in the 2015-16 season‚ and were part of the relegation playoffs last season‚ but comfortably survived in the end.
Keet was part of the Bafana Bafana squad that competed at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations‚ playing in the 1-0 win over Namibia‚ but otherwise watched from the sidelines as in-form Ronwen Williams was handed the No 1 jersey.