Bafana legend Arendse has no doubt Shandre Campbell will come good at Club Brugge

SuperSport United assistant coach Andre Arendse is confident emerging South African midfielder Shandre Campbell will come good at his Belgian side Club Brugge KV. 

Campbell joined the Jupiler Pro League side in June last year and featured for the club’s junior side Club NXT until he was recently promoted to make his senior debut. 

On Tuesday, he was on the bench when Club Brugge lost 3-1 to English side Aston Villa in the last 16 first leg of their Uefa Champions League encounter at the Jan Breydelstadion. 

“When Shandre was still with the club [SuperSport United] I found myself having long conversations with him to find out what his intentions and dreams were because I knew he was talented enough to make the move,” said Arendse. 

“I wanted to understand to what extent those opportunities looked like and it was always clear in his mind those opportunities were European. He was looking at Europe, there was nowhere else he wanted to be in the PSL. 

“For me that showed proper desire from a young player. When you leave a country at an early age you are not only leaving your teammates but you leave your family [parents and siblings].” 

Arendse spent a few season’s at Fulham in England and said it is not going to be easy for him to earn the respect of his new supporters, but he has what it takes. 

“Being away from family and friends can weigh heavily on the mental state of a young man. You are going to a foreign country with different weather, lifestyle and you don’t know what local people are like. 

“Take it from me, you have to earn their respect and it is not easy. Your mental toughness comes into play and if you don’t have that the only thing on your mind is when I am going back home. 

“You must never have that in mind if you want to stay at the level where Shandre wants to be. I saw proper mental toughness in him, even at that early stage of his life. 

“He wanted it badly and he is starting to get it. The biggest challenge for him now is to keep and embrace it and follow the dream no matter how tough it gets. 

“I have no doubt he will do it. I think we are going to see Shandre on the biggest stages of football for many years to come. He’s got a clear and solid mindset and is he is prepared to live right and do the right things. 

“He must just look after himself, work hard at training and get game time that he needs.”