Durban - University of Pretoria defender Keegan Allan made the most of the opportunities given to him last season as he was crowned as the Nedbank Cup’s Most Promising Player of the Tournament at the Premier Soccer League (PSL) annual awards on Sunday.
“It is a great achievement for myself, my family and the club. I’m excited and it’s a good feeling but I still have a lot of hard work to do. I can’t let it get to my head,” the 21-year-old told Independent Media.
AmaTuks was one of the biggest surprise packages of the recently concluded Nedbank Cup that was won by Mamelodi Sundowns. The GladAfrica Championship side reached the quarter-final stage of the competition before they were downed 3-2 by Royal AM. Allan was especially impressive in his team’s Round of 32 elimination of Chippa United, a game in which he was the Player of the Match.
“At the beginning of the season, the Chairman and CEO set objectives and we met them. Royal AM is a top club and to compete with them and take them to the last minute was good but we were frustrated to have lost,” said Allan.
ALSO READ: Peter Shalulile, Mamelodi Sundowns win big at PSL Awards
Allan’s focus is now on helping AmaTuks to win promotion to the DSTV Premiership. They are currently involved in the PSL promotion/relegation playoffs after finishing as runners-up to Richards Bay in the GladAfrica Championship this season. They began their playoff campaign on a good note by recording a 3-1 away win over Cape Town All Stars on Sunday. Allan is aware that his side will face a tough task against Swallows FC who were consigned to the playoffs after finishing second last in the Premiership.
The Premiership side is typically the favourite to win the playoffs.
“We are feeling positive. We got a good start. We still have three more finals. It will be tough but we have to do what we do best. At the end of the day, Swallows is a massive club. They have a lot of experience and tough players but we go into every game with confidence. We have a good squad. Each club is equal. We look at Swallows and Cape Town All Stars the same way,” said Allan.
ALSO READ: Andile Jali's remarkable dominance with Mamelodi Sundowns rewarded at PSL Awards
While Allan had a breakthrough season with AmaTuks, he is not exactly a previously unknown talent in South African football as he was on the books of the Mamelodi Sundowns youth ranks before joining AmaTuks last July. He opted to leave Sundowns in order to take his career to the next level and it was a move that paid off.
“I spent a lot of time with God before making the decision (to join AmaTuks). At my age, I needed to play as much as possible. Fortunately I had a coach and technical team who believed in me and it worked out. Coming through the ranks at Sundowns and spending time with the first team was a huge benefit. I’m thankful to the club for what they have done for me,” said Allan.
Unsurprisingly, Allan has been tipped to play in the Premiership next season with Orlando Pirates rumoured to be among the teams interested in his services. He confirmed to Independent Media that he is currently not aware of any interest and that he is fully focused on his objectives with AmaTuks.