Lourenco reveals pride at captaining Pirates

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Orlando Pirates MultiChoice Diski Challenge midfielder Ricardo Lourenco spoke to FourFourTwoSA about the pride he felt after captaining the side for the first time, writes DEAN WORKMAN.

The 22-year-old Bidvest Wits youth product rose to prominence after he moved to Dutch side PEC Zwolle in 2014.

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He, however, spent just one season in the Netherlands before returning home, and after initially struggling to find a new club, he joined the Buccaneers in 2016.

Lourenco earned his stripes in the reserve side at Pirates and was eventually named as captain after some strong performances, something that he takes a great deal of pride in.

‘The first time I captained Orlando Pirates MDC team was something very special to me. To be given that responsibility was something very special,’ the midfielder told FourFourTwoSA.

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‘To play in my first Soweto derby [in the MDC] is something I can’t explain to anyone, it was unreal,’ added Lourenco.

‘Playing in front of 20,000 supporters was just… goosebumps. The hairs on the back of your neck just stand up!’

Lourenco also highlighted Amajita’s victory in the 2015 Commonwealth Cup as a treasured moment: ‘When I was in Russia with the South African U20 side and we won the Commonwealth Cup against some strong opposition is something I’ll never forget.

‘Winning something with my country was something that I always wanted to do,’ concluded the attacking midfielder.

It is unknown what lies in store for the young Pirates midfielder. Will he be given a first-team opportunity or will he have to make a move in search of first-team football?

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Picture: Aubrey Kgakatsi/BackpagePix

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Dean Workman