Kaizer Chiefs striker Leonardo Castro insists his side are working hard to get into the right mindset ahead of the season restart.

The Glamour Boys recently returned to training after 100 days away from football following the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the current season was suspended, Amakhosi were sitting at the summit of the Absa Premiership standings with 48 points from 22 matches.

However, Castro expressed his delight after their return to The Village as they prepare for the completion of the 2019-20 season.

‘It’s good to be in our happy place again, because the pitch is our home,’ Castro told his club’s official website.

‘The first week was a bit hard for us,’ Castro reflected. ‘Also, because we couldn’t train in groups. We needed to keep distance from one another. Now, however, we are training together and that feels much better. We are training hard to become fit, regain our on-the-ball confidence, and to get into the right mindset for the restart of the league.’

The Colombia striker, who scored eight goals in 15 appearances across all competitions, is itching to get back onto the pitch.

‘It will be very important to win our first match, because that will keep us competitive. We need to have that winning mentality,’ he added.

‘The virus will be over. I learned some lessons during this time. For example, it is important to keep peace of mind and to be strong. The experience has also showed us that we all need to help each other. And this is something that shouldn’t be the case in times of crisis only – it should always happen.

‘We have more fatalities than South Africa. It is a major concern. I am therefore regularly in touch with my family back home to check up on them.’

Castro revealed that during his downtime he is either watching soccer or teaching his son about football.

‘I watch a lot of soccer, including the English Premiership, the Spanish La Liga and the Italian Serie A. Above all, I enjoy following Barcelona games,’ Castro said.

‘I am also teaching my three-year-old son, Valentin, about Lionel Messi. We sit on the couch and watch games together. He listens attentively. He enjoys watching soccer.’

The Colombian also has a message for the Amakhosi faithful: ‘We are working hard to be ready for the first game. We all know what you expect from us. We want to bring you happiness in these trying times.’