Ajax Cape Town coach Roger de Sa calls goalkeeping prodigy Brandon Peterson "a soldier" as he returns to training today after a knee injury that was so serious it was initially thought he would never play again.

AJAX Cape Town coach Roger de Sa calls goalkeeping prodigy Brandon Peterson "a soldier" as he returns to training today after a knee injury that was so serious it was initially thought he would never play again.

The South African junior international, who Ajax are hoping might yet still become their long-term number one and even a candidate for an overseas move, is back at work almost 10 months after tearing virtually all his knee ligaments.

It was initially felt that after surgery Peterson would find it hard to effect a full recovery and that his career was effectively over at the age of 20 with just eight league appearances under his belt.

But he has worked his way back at training after rehabilitation and could also be back in Ajax's match-day squad by the end of the year.

Peterson, who at the time of his injury was seriously challenging Anssi Jaakkola for the first-team No 1 jersey, tore the ligaments in a challenge with Anthony Laffor of Mamelodi Sundowns in the Urban Warrior's last Absa Premiership game just before Christmas last year.

"He's a kid with a good head on his shoulders and, more importantly, he is a natural athlete," added a delighted De Sa yesterday. "He's got one final appointment with the specialist but he will start with fitness work because he has passed all the medical tests since the operation."

Peterson, who turned 21 last month, has come through the ranks at Ajax from their highly successful academy at the same time as the likes of Abubakar Mobara and Tashreeq Morris.