Cape Town Spurs technical director Sean Connor has urged young attacker Luke Baartman to keep his feet on the ground after scoring a goal against Kaizer Chiefs.
Baartman, who is just 17 years old, scored the consolation goal in CT Spurs’ 3-2 defeat against Chiefs in a DStv Premiership clash on Wednesday night at FNB Stadium.
The young forward put in a cameo performance, which caught the attention of many fans and pundits alike. However, Cape Town Spurs TD Connor is keen to ensure that Baartman doesn’t get carried away with his own hype.
Connor, who is also CT Spurs’ interim coach after the departure of Shaun Bartlett stater that the youngster, needs to focus on his development and to keep working hard.
CT SPURS’ TD TIPS LUKE BAARTMAN FOR STARDOM
“I spoke about him last week, and I don’t want to indulge too much about him because, as you said he’s a 17-year-old,” said Sean Connor. The starlet has made a handful of appearances this season for Spurs, including against big guns such as Orlando Pirates on two occasions and most recently Amakhosi. Hs is widely regarded as one of the most promising young strikers in South Africa, and his goal against Chiefs has only strengthened those views.
“We need to keep his feet on the ground, but he’s a great prospect. He sniffs out goals like he did (against Chiefs). My job is to keep his feet on the ground, keep him focused, and get him to the next level where I believe he can go.”
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LUKE BAARTMAN TALK OF THE TOWN
And as much as Baartman is the talk of the town, CT Spues have had a poor start to the season. They have already fired a coach in Bartlett with Sean Connor taking over as caretaker, with Vasili Manousakis, his new assistant coach.
The Cape Town side has suffered nine defeats in their opening 10 games in the league. They won against Pirates last week but still remain in the relegation zone at the bottom of the log standings.
But Connor is optimistic, saying that: “I don’t think we’re a relegation side. I think some of the football we play is better than a lot of teams above us. “I think even earlier on (this season) they were unlucky in a lot of games that I watched. They were punished for mistakes.
“It’s amazing when I took over with seven defeats in a row, yet the confidence within the group, the spirit within the group, was strong. I work with them. Do we have deficiencies in the squad? Yes, we do, but are we the worst squad in the league. I don’t think so.”