PREMIER Soccer League champions Bidvest Wits pulled off one of the biggest coups in their history yesterday when they signed former Bafana Bafana skipper Steven “Schillo” Pienaar.
Clever Boys head coach Gavin Hunt was thrilled with his new capture: “It is all done. We are glad as a team to have acquired the services of Steven. He will be of good value to the club and will give good competition to the players.
“But he also has to work his way into the team. He cannot just jump straight into the team. He makes our squad stronger. Who doesn’t want to play for the PSL champions?
“Now we have the luxury of players of his calibre. He will definitely help us in the Champions League.”
Hunt said Schillo was excited to come home. Although he does not want to move his family around, he has always wanted to come back home and play in Mzansi.
Added Hunt: “I have always wanted to work with Schillo, even during his time at Everton. And his first priority now is to play football in the PSL.”
Schillo left for Europe last night and is expected back in the country next week, when he will start training with the Students.
Wits CEO Jose Ferreira confirmed Pienaar had signed for one season with an option for a second: “It’s a really good signing for us and we’re delighted to have a player of his quality on board.”
The 35-year-old Pienaar is one of the finest players to have come out of Mzansi in the modern era. His experience will do wonders in helping Hunt and his Clever Boys retain both their league and MTN8 titles.
Schillo has played 61 times for his country. He started his career in the PSL with Ajax Cape Town in 1999 and then joined Ajax Amsterdam two years later. The rest is history.
He played in Germany for Borussia Dortmund and in England for Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and last season for Sunderland. But he was plagued by injuries last season and after Sunderland were relegated, he decided to return and finish his career in the PSL where it all started 18 years ago.
- Hunt signed another top former Bafana midfielder last week in Daylon Claasen, who was playing for 1860 Munich in Germany.
- Wits are expected to announce the signing of the Montenegrin central defender Slavko Damjanovic.
