Footballers are not superheroes and when one is in trouble‚ they should seek help.This is a lesson soccer player Teko Modise says he wants to send out especially to the youth in his recently launched book‚ titled the Curse of Teko Modise.
He said he wrote the book because he felt he owed his followers “some sort of explanation”.
“People see us play for 90 minutes and think we are superheroes‚ when actually we have serious issues to deal with off the pitch‚” Modise said on Radio 702 on Thursday.
Another lesson to be drawn from his book‚ Modise says‚ is speaking out.
“My biggest issue is that I grew up in different families‚ so I had to be independent at a very young age. When I was caught up in challenges of fame and fortune‚ I couldn’t speak out.
“You need to speak out because people never know what you are going through.”
Modise’s book also makes mention of former soccer great Doctor Khumalo and Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane.
He said Khumalo was a big inspiration in his soccer career.
“I had no one to look up to. When I found out what he meant to the people of South Africa‚ I actually wanted to be like him. I thought if I can't reach his level‚ I should not be far from him. I wanted to be everything that he was. He encouraged me to keep going.”
On Mosimane‚ who he often clashed with while he played for Sundowns‚ Modise said: “I don’t think he does not like me at all. I think we are similar in that we both don’t like losing. He had high expectations of me. . .”.
Modise’s book also zooms in on his love for tattoos and says he might have another one following the launch of his book.
“Whenever there’s an event happening in my life‚ I get a tattoo. Since I launched the book‚ I might get one just to tell a few stories‚ that’s all.”
Footballers are not superheroes - Teko Modise
He said he wrote the book because he felt he owed his followers “some sort of explanation”.
“People see us play for 90 minutes and think we are superheroes‚ when actually we have serious issues to deal with off the pitch‚” Modise said on Radio 702 on Thursday.
Another lesson to be drawn from his book‚ Modise says‚ is speaking out.
“My biggest issue is that I grew up in different families‚ so I had to be independent at a very young age. When I was caught up in challenges of fame and fortune‚ I couldn’t speak out.
“You need to speak out because people never know what you are going through.”
Modise’s book also makes mention of former soccer great Doctor Khumalo and Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane.
He said Khumalo was a big inspiration in his soccer career.
“I had no one to look up to. When I found out what he meant to the people of South Africa‚ I actually wanted to be like him. I thought if I can't reach his level‚ I should not be far from him. I wanted to be everything that he was. He encouraged me to keep going.”
On Mosimane‚ who he often clashed with while he played for Sundowns‚ Modise said: “I don’t think he does not like me at all. I think we are similar in that we both don’t like losing. He had high expectations of me. . .”.
Modise’s book also zooms in on his love for tattoos and says he might have another one following the launch of his book.
“Whenever there’s an event happening in my life‚ I get a tattoo. Since I launched the book‚ I might get one just to tell a few stories‚ that’s all.”
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