Bafana Bafana and TS Galaxy midfielder Ethan Brooks insists that you should never “put limits on your dreams” after he realised his of playing alongside his idol Reneilwe ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane.
The 19-year-old establish himself as one of the key central midfielders in the TS Galaxy squad since discovered by former coach Dan Malesela back in 2018 when he was playing for amateur side Panorama FC.
Brooks has been labelled as one of the best upcoming talents in the DStv Premiership and has been ever present in the Rockets first team set-up, already managing to rack up 21 appearances in all competitions.
His consistent performances and work rate at Galaxy subsequently earned him a call-up to the national team, which he grabbed with both hands, having won the Cosafa Cup with Bafana Bafana as well as earning six caps for South Africa playing in the Fifa World Cup qualifying matches during the group stages.
“I’m the proof that dreams can come true,” he told Fifa.com. “As a child, I hoped to become a professional footballer and play at the highest level.
“My greatest wish was to play alongside my idol, Yeye Letsholonyane, and I managed to do it. That shows you mustn’t put limits on your dreams, and now I’m daring to imagine being able to take part in the next World Cup.
“I think I fell in love with football when I took my first shot around the age of five, but it’s true that the World Cup definitely helped! It got me dreaming. I only have wonderful memories of that tournament.
“I was even able to go to a few games. I saw Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, and that made me want to be in their place.”
Brooks went on to reveal that Siphiwe Tshabalala’s iconic goal on the opening day of the 2010 Fifa World Cup against Mexico is his favourite memory of the global competition held in South Africa.
“It was magical,” said Brooks. “Everyone in South Africa remembers where they were and what they were doing when that goal went in. It was historic. Me, I saw it on television at home with my family. That team made us dream.”
