Young midfielder aims high
“The main goal is to represent the country."
After his promotion to the senior team, Old Bens midfielder Josh Hurst is enjoying a breakthrough season playing against the big boys in the Eastern Super League.
The young midfield supremo is a vital cog in the Old Bens B team that campaigns in the reserves league. He has displayed an impressive run of form this season with dominant performances, showing his confidence and maturity.
“My main goal is to represent the country. I love football. We will see what happens from here,” he said.
Adept with the ball at his feet and always effective on and off the ball, Hurst is a reliable midfielder who moves from box to box and is strong defensively and offensively.
“I play as an eight. I run from box to box, get the ball wide, feed our attackers, and enjoy exerting pressure on our opponents.”
The Benoni High School (BHS) Grade 11 learner started playing football at the age of four for the Old Bens U6 team. When he was 12, he moved to Black Aces and plied his trade for Sporting for three years before returning home to continue his development before being promoted to the senior team.
He faced a baptism of fire against older players in the early stages of the league season but has handled the pressure well because he believes in sticking to the basics.
“I fall into spaces easily and release the ball early to avoid getting myself into many scraps,” said Hurst.
Hurst has several Easterns age-group caps and looks forward to representing the region again in the future.
The youngster is a Manchester United and Real Madrid fan and looks up to five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I look up Cristiano and enjoy what he does.”
Like Ronaldo, Hurst, who also dabbles in hockey and cricket, wants to keep playing to see where the sport takes him, but his goal is to play professionally and don the green and gold of South Africa.
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