Paulse happy to come out of retirement to help Umoya
Former Ajax Cape Town striker Nathan Paulse, who came out of retirement, scored his first goal for National First Division side Cape Umoya United last weekend.
Willard Katsande of Kaizer Chiefs get his pass away as Nathan Paulse of Ajax Cape Town during the Absa Premiership match between Ajax Cape Town and Kaizer Chiefs at Athlone Stadium on February 25, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Luigi Bennet/Gallo Images)
Paulse, who retired at the end of the 2016-17 season and started working as a TV analyst, says the reason to come out of retirement was to help Umoya coach Roger De Sa.
“My return to football had a lot to do with Roger. We were close during his spell as Ajax coach and, after I quit, he always told me I had retired too soon; that I still had a lot to offer. We have always been in touch and we had a talk about me making a comeback for Umoya,” Paulse told IOL.
“We sat down and had a chat about the club’s plans, and he told me if I wanted to be part of it, as a player, he would be quite happy. He was confident I could still contribute.
“I decided to give it a week or two of training with the squad, just to see how I felt. And, you know, this game of football, it’s a bug that bites: I love playing and, most of all, I found I missed the competitiveness of it all the most. So I bought into the club’s plans, signed a contract, and I’m hoping to play a role in developing this club.
“But, really, to be honest, I would not have done it for any other coach – it’s just the type of respect Roger and I have for each other.”
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