Football can humble you

At just 22 years old, Roy-Keane Avontuur has already lived through the kind of highs and lows that many footballers only encounter deep into their careers.

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From becoming Stellenbosch FC's youngest-ever debutant in the Betway Premiership at 17, to facing the harsh reality of relegation with NB La Masia, his journey has been one of promise, setbacks, and rediscovery. Now back home in Cape Town, the talented striker finds himself at Hout Bay United FC in the ABC Motsepe League, under the guidance of coach Michael Loftman, determined to write the next chapter of his story. With five years of professional experience behind him and a more mature mindset, Avontuur believes he is ready to reignite his career. In part one of our interview with Soccer Laduma's Delmain Faver, he opens up about his past mistakes, lessons learned, and why he feels this season could be the breakthrough he has been waiting for.

DF: What lesson does relegation teach you as a player? What does it open your eyes to? What lesson do you take away from that experience regarding relegation and football in general?

RKA: I think that it doesn’t matter how good of a team you are, if you're not focused, football can humble you. I’m not saying that the team was not humble, but I think it’s difficult to explain. As a team, I think we could have done more to save the club. We were a good bunch of players.