Gordon Gilbert's time at Kaizer Chiefs was not the smoothest and the fact that he was signed by management, and not the coach, played a big role in how his spell at Naturena went.
Soccer Laduma tracked him down to talk about his time at the club and the relationship he had with the coach at the time, Muhsin Ertugral.
The years
I was at Chiefs for two years, but I went on loan to Swallows while I was there. Chiefs is the biggest team in Africa, there is no doubt about that. My time there was good and I loved the Motaung family. They were all pleasant people, from Bobby, to Jessica and the chairman (Kaizer) himself. It was a beautiful set up and I don't have one bad thing to say about Chiefs. I was blessed to have that opportunity. Obviously, things would have been a little different were it not for Muhsin Ertugral. We did not see eye-to-eye. It was the chairman who signed me and not Muhsin. But I loved Kaizer Chiefs and I absolutely love the brand. I just wish things could have been different and that I got a fair chance.
How the move happened
We get to the Nedbank Cup final with (Mpumalanga) Black Aces and we did not concede a goal until the 89th minute in the final, when Lerato Chabangu scored a humdinger. That was the first and only goal that we conceded. There was quite a lot of interest, including Pirates and Swallows. When I heard that Chiefs were interested, I jumped at the opportunity.
My first day at Chiefs
It was awesome. It was a dream come true. You really feel the presence of the Kaizer Chiefs badge. When you get to Naturena, you feel that it's special and big. It's everything you dream of as a player. I remember it so well. They treated players like kings at Chiefs. Guys get really well looked after.
My debut
I made my debut in a game against Sundowns in Mafikeng. It was the Telkom Charity Cup. But my debut in the PSL (against Thanda Royal Zulu), I got the man of the match award. It started off well, but if someone has it in for you, it's never going to stay well. I am not making excuses. It started off well and it could have continued that way, but it wasn't to be.
Best player I played with at Chiefs
I would say it was Arthur Zwane. He is an absolute gentleman. He is a very humble guy and strong-minded. He was very athletic and he was hard working. He was a true role model to us youngsters at the time. Obviously, he is a lot older than me and successful. So, Arthur Zwane is a player who stood out for me. And then there is 'Tsiki-Tsiki', Thabo Mooki. When you talk about raw talent, I'd say 'Tsiki-Tsiki'. He was also a lovely guy and I learnt a lot from him. He was a senior player and he led by example. He was a players' player and everyone loved him. For me, those two guys were really outstanding individuals.
Most memorable moment
I would say getting man of the match at Loftus against Thanda Royal Zulu, when Bernard Parker played for them. I had my whole family there. It was my first official PSL game for Chiefs, so that was memorable. There were some other memorable moments, but I hold that one in highest regard simply because I got awarded the man of the match. It's a fond memory.
Lowest moment
It was leaving the club to go on loan to Swallows, although Swallows was really a brilliant team to play for. I loved my time there, but obviously leaving Chiefs on loan, knowing that you could have done so much more had you had the support of the coach, was not good. That was a low moment for me. I wanted it to work, but it was not to be.
Difficult conversation with chairman or coach
The chairman was always really nice and there were no issues there. There is so much I could say (about the coach). In life, you cannot always play the victim. There is a lot that I can say, but I will say that for now. I think the biggest thing is just feeling hard done by.
