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WATCH | Zwane welcomes fellow assistant Sheppard to 'unbelievable' Chiefs Village

Dillon Sheppard says he was competely blown away by the facilities at Kaizer Chiefs tranining centre in Naturena in the south of Johannesburg.
Dillon Sheppard says he was competely blown away by the facilities at Kaizer Chiefs tranining centre in Naturena in the south of Johannesburg.
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Arthur Zwane has welcomed his new Kaizer Chiefs assistant-coach Dillon Sheppard to the club's training centre in Naturena.

Zwane asks Sheppard about his take on Chiefs' Village.

"The Village. Unbelievable‚" Sheppard says.

"You know‚ I've been blessed to have played in Europe. I've been at some big clubs‚ and I must say that I was totally shocked coming in here.

"Going into the offices‚ going into the analysts rooms‚ going down to the pitch‚ getting a feel of the whole village.

"You even took me across to the youth set-up‚ we even went and looked at the board and lodging for the kids. Unbelievable.

"You know‚ it's an environment where you can see that it breathes football.

"I don't even live that far away.

"You always drive past and you don't even realise that this is like a dream for any youngster‚ and a dream for myself being a coach and coming inside here to be a part of this set-up. And‚ like say‚ I was hugely blown away."

Heart to heart conversation between the two new first team assistant coaches, Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard #Amakhosi4Life

Zwane reponds that: "I'll tell you something‚ that that's one of the reasons that‚ even as a player‚ even when I had overseas offers‚ I said‚ 'No‚ I'm not going'. Because the set-up here made me believe that it's more like I'm overseas."

Sheppard was introduced to professional football as a player by Gavin Hunt at Seven Stars in 1997‚ and ended his career playing under the coach at Bidvest Wits as a Premiership title winner in 2017.

Wits being sold to TTM‚ and previous coach Ernst Middendorp's departure from Chiefs opened the way for four-time league winner Hunt to finally join a big three club.

He has roped in Chiefs legend Zwane‚ formerly Amakhosi's head of the under-21s‚ and Sheppard‚ who Hunt introduced to coaching as Wits' head of youth‚ as his assistants.