Ex-Orlando Pirates star Jele explains failed move to France

Ex-Orlando Pirates captain Happy Jele has opened up on why he failed to secure a contract with a French top flight side.

Jele spent 16 years at Pirates, racking over 400 appearances and has never played for any other club in his professional career. Despite training with Ligue 1 side RC Lens for two months in 2010, a move to France did not materialise for the centre-back.

But he says he does not regret spending all his professional career playing Premier Soccer League football.

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“I had to go to France for trials [in] 2010, it went well but obviously I didn’t get a chance to go back,” said Jele according to Goal.

“Lens, on the first league. I’ve played there, I stayed for almost two months, so it was great but obviously it didn’t work out. You know, I had to come back to Orlando Pirates. The paperwork… The deal didn’t happen.

“I was not [disappointed] because it was an experience for me, it’s a good experience, I had to learn more about football. How European countries do, after that I didn’t look back because I wanted to go overseas again, to play there. Because it was tempting, to say almost.

“I’ve tasted the cake, I wanted to [go] back, so I was trying to work more harder, that’s why I had to take care of my body from there. It didn’t work out afterwards, so I had to focus on my team, which was Orlando Pirates. The chairman [Pirates’ Irvin Khoza] said to me, ‘If anything comes you’ll get a chance to go’ by that time.

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“So I was working very hard by that time so other teams can get me but at the end of the day it didn’t happen. I think it was God’s plan to stick with Orlando Pirates for such a long time. Look, I’ve spent 16 years and I was happy.”

Despite the Ex-Orlando Pirates player’s success with Pirates, Jele was never a Bafana Bafana regular. His only three national team appearances came between 2011 and 2013. Playing in France might have boosted his chances of being a regular with Bafana.

At the age of 35, Jele is searching for a club after leaving Pirates before the start of the 2022/23 season. He is a free agent and can join any club outside the transfer window.

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