Shandre Campbell shines in Belgium South African youngster Shandre Campbell has been promoted to the Club Brugge first team after doing well for their affiliate team Club NXT. Photo: Maarten Straetemns/Belga Photo via AFP
Image: Maarten Straetemns/Belga Photo via AFP
Shandre Campbell is a man on the move.
After impressing at Club NXT in Belgium during the course of the season, Campbell has been promoted to Club Brugge's first team. According to his agent earlier this week, the youngster will train with the senior team, while continuing to be available for their affiliate team, Club NXT.
Currently, the 19-year-old former SuperSport United starlet is one of a few South Africans attached to a club playing in the top flight of one of Europe's bigger leagues, which is exactly what Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos said he wanted to see when he first took over the national team.
Campbell's journey is similar to the one walked by Percy Tau, who moved to Europe when he signed for Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion in 2018. Brighton immediately sent him out on loan to Belgium in order to allow him to get used to the rigours of European football.
After excelling in Belgium's lower leagues during the 2018/19 season, Tau made a move to Club Brugge — still on loan — and continued to shine. His impressive form in the Belgian Pro League allowed him to return to the Premier League a better player.
However, things did not go as well in England for Tau. Then Brighton manager Graham Potter felt he wasn't quite ready for the Premier League, and he had to bide his time. Unfortunately, Tau got impatient with how things were going, and walked out of the club.
Since then, his career has had a few highs, but it did not reached the levels many fans and pundits expected.
This is a mistake that Campbell should try to avoid repeating. He's done well so far, but when things get tough — and they will — he shouldn't sulk like Tau did. Instead, he should knuckle down and prove to the coaches why he is a wise investment for the future.
Former Leeds United defender Lucas Radebe is the perfect example of this. When he moved to England back in 1994, Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson wasn't convinced he was ready for the Premier League. Instead of sulking, Radebe worked on his weaknesses and became a club legend.
And in the modern day, he can look at Amad Diallo and Jadon Sancho as an example. Both players struggled for regular minutes under Erik ten Hag. Diallo worked harder while Sancho sulked on social media. Today, Diallo has thrived for Manchester United, while Sancho is still searching for his "freedom".
IOL Sport