Royal AM striker Mxolisi Macuphu has opened up about his move from TS Galaxy in January and how he managed to settle in well at his new club.

Macuphu’s sparkling form since his January arrival has seen the 32-year-old become one of Royal's key players. Yet the quick manner he has settled into life in the Durban-based side has not come as a surprise to him.

Macuphu, who has been rewarded with a Player of the Month award for February and March, said he has not changed from how he played his game and this has helped him settle in time.

“Two days before the closing date of transfer, that’s when I got a call from Royal AM saying they were interested in my services, and from there it was only left to me  to convince club boss Tim Sukazi [to sell me],” Macuphu said.

“Also taking into consideration I had five months left and my contract was coming to an end... it made a huge business sense coming back home to Royal AM. I always kept an eye on them wherever they were playing, even during the playoffs. It was one team I was checking on.

“So, I was coming into an environment where I know how they want things to be done in the team, and when you come here you find such a great coach and players. It makes you as a player adapt quickly.”

Since joining Royal, the lanky striker has been finding the back of the net regularly [four times].

“I have played for Bidvest Wits, [and] SuperSport, and the questions will be asked as to why a player like me left those clubs,” he said. 

“Consistency is the key part of a striker. You will find that a striker in a particular season scored four goals, but when you look holistically, the contribution he's  done is so much.

“So are you willing to have coaches with a broad view beyond scoring or are you looking at a coach who sees results ... forgetting the assists? I’ve never reached the double figures and I played the whole of last season but never won the Man of the Match award, though I was voted among the most consistent players throughout the season.”