What could have been! Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Michael Nkambule has opened up about the disappointment of his failed move to Manchester United in the early 2000s.
At just 15, Nkambule spent some time on trial with the Premier League giants, rubbing shoulders with a young Cristiano Ronaldo and did enough to impress coaches, including the club’s legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Speaking to the Trap and Pass podcast about his experience, Nkambule said he first came to the attention of United when playing at a youth tournament in Northern Ireland with Kaizer Chiefs’ under-15s.
“After the tournament, there were scouts. One of them was a man named Frank Lord who was with Manchester United,” Nkambule said.
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“He approached me and told me they would like to invite me for trials. I told them I did no have a problem, they just had to speak to Kaizer Chiefs’ management who took us to Northern Ireland.
“We returned to South Africa to play in the Milk Cup. In September or October, they booked a ticket for me to spend 10 days in Manchester. Because I was so young, the coaches decided that another player, Xolani Mabaso, would join me.”
After 10 days, the two returned to South Africa, but Nkambule was invited again to train with the club in December. Again, he impressed the coaches at the club, particularly with his ball control and first touch.
“I went back. Cristiano Ronaldo had just signed for the club, and I met him personally.
“When I was there for the second time, that’s when my heart broke. I played in another development tournament. After the indoor tournament, a coach approached me and asked if I was really 15 because I played as if I was 27.
“When the 10 days’ trial was about to finish, the head of development fetched me and took me to Sir Alex Ferguson’s office. I couldn’t believe it. He had watched me in some training sessions, and told me ‘everyone is happy with you, Michael. We want to sign you, but we won’t be able to because of work permit issues’.”
At the time, in order for South African footballers to get a work permit to play in England, they needed to have played 70% of national team games.
“My heart was broken. I was 15, sitting with Alex Ferguson and they wanted to give me a contract, but the law didn’t allow it.”
After returning to South Africa and Kaizer Chiefs, he received yet another invitation. This one was with Chelsea, who at the time were swimming in money having just been taken over by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich.
After his potential moves to England failed to materialise, he went on trial with Strasbourg in France, where immigration laws for footballers are a little more relaxed.
“I trained with the under-18s, and played a friendly for the reserves. I was still 15. In the friendly, I came on a second half substitute, scored a goal and had two assists. After the game, I was taken for a medical. Afterwards, I was taken to the office and given a contract to sign.
“My brother, who was in France with me, told them I can’t sign the contract until my father had seen it. But they convinced me to sign it having reached an agreement over a fee with Kaizer Chiefs, which was R1 million. My father got 10% of that.”
In France, he never broke into the first team. After spending a season on loan with SuperSport United, he he became homesick, and eventually returned to South Africa permanently in 2007 with boyhood club Kaizer Chiefs.
At Chiefs he failed to live up to expectations and after just two years, he had his contracted terminated in August 2010. He remained clubless for about a year, before he was signed by Sivutsa Stars and eventually got signed by Black Leopards in 2012. He also played for Roses United thereafter.
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