Johannesburg - SuperSport United defender Thulani 'Tyson' Hlatshwayo has admitted to finding himself in one of the most bizarre and frustrating situations during his time at Orlando Pirates.
The experienced defender has found new life at Matsatsantsa following a dreadful spell at the Buccaneers, and has been putting in high-octane performances on a regular basis in Gavin Hunt's side.
Hlatshwayo, now 32, opened up about his ups and downs at the Sea Robbers, and in the process admitted that the time he spent on the sidelines with Pirates was somewhat of a shock to him considering he'd been a regular starter at all the clubs he's represented.
"I had never imagined that I'd find myself in that sort of situation because if you look at my football career, starting from my days at Ajax (Cape Town), Bidvest Wits, and the national team, I've always been a player that plays 25+ games a season," he said.
"I have always been there defending and scoring goals throughout all those years up until 2020 and that situation was fairly new to me as a player."
In an age where there's an elevated focus on mental health in and out of football, the need for a healthy support system to help individuals navigate through unique scenarios is even more heightened if one's face is on national television and social media.
Numerous athletes both domestically and internationally have opened up about their battles with constant criticism from sports fans, and the restrictions their stardom and expressing themselves.
Hlatshwayo dominated headlines and social media platforms frequently for all the wrong reasons during his time at Mayfair, but has attributed his strength to the people he has around him.
"It's very important to have a very good support structure," he said.
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"I'm not one to be on social media a lot but the people around me are, so sometimes I'd find out through them that things had been written about me, and knowing the situation I was in, I knew it probably wasn't great."
"The same way I arrived at Orlando Pirates, everyone was happy to see me there. The same thing was gonna happen if things went bad, so it's a balance of good and bad and one should be prepared for every situation."
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Hlatshwayo and his SuperSport side have made a surprisingly strong start to their first round of fixtures, a stark contrast to the team that failed to win their four opening matches.
They currently hold the third position on the DStv premiership log, seven points off log-leading Mamelodi Sundowns, and Matsatsantsa will resume action on December 30 against Marumo Gallants.
IOL Sport