Having hogged headlines for his off-field antics as a teenager while he was playing for AmaZulu, talented midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu says joining Orlando Pirates has instilled discipline in him.

Pirates bought Zungu from Stellenbosch in January this year. The 24-year-old star was deemed a bad boy when AmaZulu released him in 2018 after allegations of “misbehaving”.

“Coming to Pirates from Stellenbosch taught me a lot of things…this club is so professional. To be at Pirates has made me realise that as a player you must be disciplined on and off the field,’’ Zungu told media in Durban at the weekend.

“The most important thing here is to work very hard at training and individually. It’s also important to stay away from bad things outside the field.’’

Zungu also opened up about the role Stellenbosch mentor Steve Barker played in his career after convincing him to come to the Western Cape to revive his career in the aftermath of being shown the door at Usuthu.

“I will always feel indebted to coach Steve Barker. He’s a like a father to me. I remember when AmaZulu released me, I won’t lie, I didn’t want to go to Cape Town but he kept on calling me, from Monday to Friday, persuading me,’’ Zungu said.

“Since he’s the one who promoted me at AmaZulu, he always had that belief that I can still do wonders, that’s why even my family advised me to go to Cape Town to play under him at Stellenbosch.’’

The lad from Parkgate in Durban has so far played just five games at the Buccaneers, with the likes of Ben Motshwari, Fortune Makaringe and Siphesihle Ndlovu, among others, looking to be ahead of him in the midfield pecking order.

“Everything starts at training. If you want to play, you must work for your place in the team,’’ said Zungu.

“At this stage, we are all working hard but I understand that we won’t play at the same time. But I keep on believing that I will get my chance and when I get it I will grab it with both hands.’’