PODCAST | I never had offers from Chiefs or Pirates: Ronwen Williams

Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams says he personally never had approaches from Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to join the Soweto giants.

Mamelodi Sundowns’ new goalkeeper, Williams joined the Brazilians from SuperSport United, a club he had been part of since 12.

Williams, 30, told Marawa Sports Worldwide he did not discount that Chiefs and Pirates, who he was linked to many times in media reports for years, might have approached SuperSport for his services.

“I never personally got anything from any other team. There were rumours here and there but nothing concrete,” he said.

“The only club or people I spoke to were people from Sundowns.

“There were always rumours. The rumour about Orlando Pirates has been there every season.

“I never met anyone or spoke to anyone from them. Maybe they contacted someone on my team, but not me personally.

“And like I said, I told Mr Stanley Matthews [SuperSport’s CEO] a year ago that the only club I was willing to go to in SA was Sundowns.”

Williams said the first tentative approach he had from Sundowns was in 2017 “when we [Bafana Bafana] played Nigeria in coach Stuart Baxter’s first game.

“The fitness coach from Sundowns ‘KB’ [Kabelo Rangoaga] came to me and had a chat and just asked me a simple question. He said, ‘Would you be interested in joining our team because coach Pitso likes what he sees?’

“Obviously we spoke and I said it was for them to contact the club and speak to [Williams’ agent] Rob Moore.

“At that time SuperSport didn’t want to let me go because we were challenging, we were winning things too, we were successful. So rightfully so.

“At that time I didn’t want to leave too. My heart was solely at SuperSport because we were doing well and had a very good team.”

Williams has been in form and keeping out Downs’ legendary, though ageing, Denis Onyango between the posts.

“It wasn’t easy jumping ship and a lot of changes had to be made but I think it was the right step at the right time.”

He said the biggest adjustment has been “leaving home".

"I felt at home, felt at ease. I was in a comfort zone and coming to a big club with a rich history who want to win every trophy at stake.

“I had to change my mentality and adapt, and so far so good. The start has been positive and I feel at home already.”

In a broad-ranging interview Williams touched on subjects like the chat he had with Matthews about leaving SuperSport, how he needed a bigger challenge and how Moore flew from the UK to secure the deal.

For more episodes, click here.

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