Lyle Foster is in line to make his English Premier League debut on Friday night when Burnley host defending champions Manchester City in a daunting start for the Bafana Bafana star and his promoted club.
He will be the latest in a long list of players from South Africa to have featured in the elite English league – from the early days of Lucas Radebe and Phil Masinga at Leeds United, to Mark Fish, Shaun Bartlett, Eric Tinkler and Steven Pienaar, and the more recent appearance of Percy Tau at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Some were major hits, others were not and could not fulfil their potential, the most glaring of these Mbulelo Mabizela and his failed move to Tottenham Hotspur.
The indicators are that Foster will be a hit, even if he has recently admitted to off-field doubts and mental health issues that are now behind him.
It has been such a long road to this point that it is remarkable to think that Foster is still only 22 years old.
Burnley are his sixth club already, and it is a slight concern how he has moved around so much since leaving Orlando Pirates in 2018.
He has subsequently played for French Ligue 1 outfit Monaco, Cercle Brugge in Belgium, Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal, before a return to Belgium with Westerlo, where he was a major hit.
Foster made his professional debut for Pirates in September 2017 when he came off the bench for the final seven minutes of a goalless draw at Maritzburg United.
But those who follow South African football closely were aware of the young precocious talent for well over a year before that.
He was part of the South African side that competed at the COSAFA U17 Championships in Mauritius and already looked the part. He was in the same team with the likes of Luke Fleurs, Luke le Roux and Thabiso Monyane.
He was just past his 17th birthday when he made his Pirates bow and got his first goal in a 1-1 home draw with Polokwane City a few months later.
He had already been earmarked for a transfer abroad and following a trial with Monaco, made the move to France ahead of the 2018/19 season. By then he was already a Bafana Bafana international having played in the senior COSAFA Cup in 2018.
He played for Monaco’s reserve side in his first season and represented South Africa at the 2019 U20 World Cup, scoring against an Argentina side that also included current Manchester City star Carlos Alcaraz. They could reignite their rivalry on Friday.
He started his first senior game in Ligue 1 in August 2019 but weeks later was loaned to Cercle Brugge to get more regular action.
He was sold to Bongani Zungu’s former side Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal at the start of the 2020/21 season, but also saw his opportunities there limited and made only five appearances before moving to the B team.
He was loaned to Westerlo for 2021/22 and it was there that he found form. He was superb for the side in helping them to promotion and made his move permanent.
He carried that form on in the top division, which prompted Burnley to make their move in January and secure him in a fee that could rise as high as R260-million, making him the most expensive South African player in history.
But it was during his time at Westerlo that he also spoke of his difficulties with depression and the desire to return home, but a change of scenery in England appears to have reignited his passion for the game.
He is a player national team coach Hugo Broos can build around, and will likely try to do that in the coming years.
His goal against Morocco last June was superb and he followed that up with two more against Liberia this year, for three goals in his last two caps.
His strong running style and ability to hold up the ball makes him a perfect foil for the likes of Tau or the in-form Bongi Hlongwane to play either side of him as wide forwards.
The Premier League is a huge step up, but it should be remembered too that Foster still has lots of growth left in him. And he has the right coach to bring that out in Vincent Kompany.
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