Jesse ‘Donn-ing’ his heart on his sleeves

Jesse Donn seems to have the blueprint of how to master football grassroots in academy level and graduate to the senior team, be patient enough to sit on the bench for two seasons and eventually become a regular player at club level and end up getting a call from Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos.

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The 22-year-old SuperSport United midfielder is looking like one of the players to watch this season in the DStv Premiership having collected two Man of the Match gongs and received a call-up to the Bafana Bafana squad.

Donn is dubbed the new Dean Furman at Matsatsantsa A Pitori and his performances have not been far off from the stellar displays of the club’s former skipper.

Donn is likely to take to the field when The Spartans host Baroka FC in the league this Saturday, and for youngsters alike who have aspirations to break into the top-flight and become not only a regular, but a key figure in the squad, Donn has some piece of advice, mapping out “patience”, “attitude” and “consistency” as one of the main indicators for rookies waiting on the wings.      

“It is simple, you need to work hard and be patient. Patience is not just about waiting but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. If there is anything that I have learnt from my story and the limited success that I have had recently is that you have to maintain a good attitude and stick to what you know,” said Donn.

“Extra effort is very important and you need to be consistent and keep a level head, it really does pay off. You may not see it in the foreseeable future, it may be difficult but if you keep at it, your chance will come and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I believe that hard work always beats talent,” he added.

While he claims to have the blue of SuperSport flowing in his veins, he does, like many, have ambitions to one day leave United for a move abroad.

“I’m very happy at SuperSport at the moment but if it came to a situation where I ended up continuing and finishing my career here, I would be satisfied. But I do have aspirations and one of those aspirations is to play in Europe and as a footballer, you are always pushing for the next thing.

Whether that becomes a reality or not, I have to focus on where I am because you get opportunities by being seen where you are.”