Shandre Campbell has made a stunning start to life in Europe, writes Dylan Appolis.
Shandre Campbell has emerged as one of South Africa’s most promising young players after his memorable debut season for SuperSport United in 2023/24 earned him a move to Europe.
Campbell began his football journey in the SuperSport United Soccer Schools system at the age of 11 and rose through the ranks at the club at junior level.
His impressive performances earned him a place in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) team in 2022, and from there he never looked back.
The Boksburg winger played an instrumental role in helping Matsatsantsa claim their first-ever DDC league title during the 2022/23 season.
Campbell went on to have a stellar campaign as he finished as the DDC’s top goal scorer with 16 goals while also being named the Player of the Year in the competition.
Following the conclusion of that campaign, Campbell was immediately promoted to the first team by head coach Gavin Hunt.
He was selected for the starting lineup for their first game of the 2023/24 season and notched two assists in their 2–0 win over Richards Bay and received the Man of the Match award on his debut.
“I watched him the whole of last year. He still has a lot to do, but he definitely has the ability,” said Hunt.
“But let’s judge people over a period of time, not over one game or two games.
“In South Africa, you have one good game and then [judge the player]. Let’s judge him over a season, two or three, but it is a good start for the kid.”
Campbell could not have asked for a better debut season after he made 30 appearances across all competitions, scoring five goals and contributing six assists.
He was also nominated for the DStv Premiership Young Player of the Year award and the Nedbank Cup Player of the Year award, losing out to Orlando Pirates star Relebohile Mofokeng on both occasions at the PSL awards.
The winger’s quality and impressive performances did not go unnoticed, as many top PSL clubs were interested in capturing his services.
Campbell, however, opted to make the move to Europe to further his development after Club Brugge came calling for his signature.
He joined ‘Blauw-Zwart’ after putting pen to paper on a three-year contract with Belgian giants, following in the footsteps of Kermit Erasmus and Kamohelo Mokotjo, who both joined European clubs from SuperSport.
“I knew I was going to play football,” Campbell said.
“As soon as I saw the ball when I was six, I knew that I had something. Because everything else? It’s not working out for me,” he joked
“School hammered me, but some of us still managed to get a bursary [through football].”
Campbell grew up around football, as he revealed: “It’s actually crazy because [former Kaizer Chiefs striker] Bernard Parker and my father are close friends and we used to go to his house. He always inspired me a lot.”
He adds his motivation is not necessarily wealth, but rather making his parents proud and to repay them for the sacrifices they made for him throughout the years.
“My parents had a [Volkswagen] Golf, which we used to travel to games,” said Campbell.
“It used to break down and we would be stuck on the highway at 9pm. It happened so often that I would never be scared when we would be stuck on the freeway.
“My father and I would walk to the garage to get petrol, or water because the car was overheating. The car used to break down often, but it motivated me.
“That motivated me because I not only needed to prove a point to them, but also ensure that their sacrifices and everything they do for me is worth it, and I do everything I can to make sure that they are wealthy one day.”
Campbell’s move to Belgium looks to have paid off as he continues to thrive playing for Brugge’s reserve team, Club NXT, scoring goals and creating assists along the way.
However, he is yet to train or play for the senior team, but his journey is a big inspiration to the current and up-andcoming youngsters who would like to make the move abroad, proving that patience, hard work and discipline pays off. It is clear that he has a bright future ahead of him.
