PSL legend, Daine Klate shared his views on Kermit Erasmus' dramatic parting words with Orlando Pirates.
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The story
Former SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates star, Daine Klate, expressed his opinion on Kermit Erasmus' bitter departure from the Buccaneers, in a podcast interview with his former teammate, Michael Morton.
Erasmus was released in June by the Sea Robbers following a two-season return to the club, winning two Nedbank Cup and another two MTN8 titles in that period.
Despite the trophies, it was a rather underwhelming spell for Erasmus where he managed 11 appearances across all competitions in 2023/24, all of which came in 2023 and wasn't able to make a single appearance this calendar year.
Upon his exit from the Bucs, an emotional Erasmus detailed his struggles at the club towards the end of his stay, bemoaning the lack of appreciation he's received despite making monetary sacrifices in order to rejoin the Buccaneers.
Responding to Erasmus' comments on Michael Morton Talks Football podcast, and his critique of the way Pirates treats its long-serving players, Klate shared his views on what his close friend had to say about the club he supported as a child and represented with aplomb.
"I think it's the opposite for me, personally, I think Kermit is a very affectionate guy, his emotions always play a part, he's always been able to show them. He's very outspoken, he's always been able to speak his mind. I'm the opposite, I understand what he says but there's too of us to be asked, to be acknowledged.
"I think my acknowledgment [from Pirates] from my personal experience is, for the four-and-a-half-years of my five-year contract, because I also got paid when I got loaned out to SuperSport, Pirates were still paying me in full. My rewards and acknowledgment came from my salary being paid every month. The five-year-contract, my sign-on fee, nothing was ever late, nothing ever lacked," revealed the six-time domestic league winner.
"That was my reward, being treated well when you are with the football club. It's a club that means a lot to me, I still support them to this day. But I don't think the club owes me anything, in return, I always represented the club wholeheartedly and I can still feel the love when I go outside from the Pirates fans," says the humble legend, pointing out that he still gets love from Pirates fans for his time at the club:
"That's all the acknowledgment I could ask for, I don't expect the club to make a ceremony for me to tell people how much I did for the club. I went to the club agreeing that I would help the club, so my agreement with the club and how I was there, fulfilled me a lot.
"I'm pretty happy and content in where I am, maybe Kermit feels different, he's entitled to his own opinion. But my feeling is, I get all the acknowledgment in the world from the Pirates faithful."
Klate also hinted that he might want to make a return to the club in the future if the opportunity presents itself:
"I've got nothing against Pirates, I've got all the love for them in the world and I've got a great relationship with the club still. And who knows? Maybe five, six, seven years from now I could be sitting in the bench as the Head Coach of Pirates, or maybe again, I'll get an opportunity to represent the club in a different capacity, but looking for acknowledgment for what I've done is not for me."
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Watch below:
Here's a look at other content shared by Morton from his interview with Klate, where he picks his ultimate five-a-side team and revels who his toughest opponent was:
