AmaZulu FC midfielder Liam Bern has spoken out about the Cape Town Spurs dispute that kept him from making his debut for Usuthu.
The 22-year-old signed for AmaZulu before the season started after Spurs were relegated to the ABC Motsepe League.
However, the Western Cape club contested the move, demanding a transfer fee despite their amateur status. The matter dragged on as Spurs repeatedly appealed each ruling that went against them.
But after Spurs finally withdrew their appeal, Bern was cleared to play, as AmaZulu confirmed earlier this week. He admitted the prolonged case took a heavy mental toll but expressed gratitude to the club for keeping his spirits high during the ordeal.
“I won’t lie, mentally it affected me, but there are some great people here at AmaZulu, such as the coach, who really helped me to keep me positive,” said Bern.
“Also the players, to be honest, as well as my mom and sister – I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.
“I’d probably say, in all this, I learnt patience in this and this really taught me patience.”
‘Not The Goodbye I Wanted’
Having come through Spurs academy, Bern admitted that he was not pleased with the manner in which he ended up leaving the club.
“Definitely, this is not the way I wanted to leave, it sad the way we left,” he added.
“It’s not something I would have liked to happen. Unfortunately it did.”