‘I wasn’t given my fair shot at Pirates’
KICK OFF: Where did your football journey start?
Marc van Heerden: I was five and my Dad, Mark, hauled me down to the local soccer field and wanted me to start playing. After the first or second training session, I really enjoyed it. My Dad played as well, and all my uncles played, so my family was big time in soccer. I then played for Robertsham Callies and I really started to have a massive passion for the game when I was about seven or eight and we started to win tournaments and trophies. You would then get called to go and play for the provincial teams. I knew then that I loved it.
You mentioned your Dad played, was that also professionally?
What happened to him is that he went to Leeds United on trial at the age of 16 or 17 and was about to sign a professional contract, but he had to come home and do his military service. While in the army he had a severe leg break and that basically ended his career, he could never play again [professionally] from the age of 18. These days they might have been able to get him back on the pitch, but back then it was a severe injury and that was that. He did play a bit before that,
