Hendrick Ekstein passes the ball to Siphiwe Tshabalala (Photo by Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images)
According to the source, the midfielder had an option to stay in South Africa having had a number of offers which include Orlando Pirates and Highlands Park.
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Ekstein is said to have never thought that he would one day play overseas, especially looking at his age. However, after seeing Tshabalala make an overseas move at the age of 33, he felt inspired and made sure that the move becomes possible.
“He looks up to ‘Shabba’ very much because of how he strived for success all these years. Nobody thought that he (Tshabalala) would play overseas, but he did it. Ekstein and his agent worked very hard to ensure that the move happens. And to be honest, he did have plenty of offers in the country. Pirates were one of the team’s he could have joined, as well as Highlands. But he wanted to play abroad so bad, and he is very happy,” said the source.
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