Orlando Pirates boss Muhsin Ertugral is confident that Gladwin Shitolo will establish himself in the Bafana Bafana setup in the near future.

The 26-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Golden Arrows, has impressed the coach since returning to the Bucs camp.

Arrows boss Clinton Larsen had been hoping to secure Shitolo on a permanent basis but Ertugral has revealed he has big plans of his own for the midfielder.

‘Shitolo is a surprise package. He is the prototype player that can be versatile in different situations,’ Ertugral said, reports Goal.com.

‘He has incredible talent and I can put my hand up and say that he is a future Bafana Bafana player definitely,’ the coach continued.

Shitolo put in an impressive display against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday, despite Bucs going down 2-0 to their rivals.

‘His versatility gives a different dimension. We need players like him and Edwin [Gyimah] who are not your typical centre-back; they have something a little bit more special,’ Ertugral explained.

Shitolo made 28 appearances for Golden Arrows last term.