Kaizer Chiefs defender Bradley Cross has wished his former defensive partner Malik Thiaw well for joining Newcastle United and admits he’s still learning day-by-day in his role as a left-back.
Cross, 24, was one of the most promising centre-backs in South Africa before making a switch to Germany with Schalke 04 from the now-defunct Bidvest Wits and later went on to captain the Newcastle United reserve team as a left centre-back.
Post the global pandemic, Cross was released by the Premier League side after a serious knee injury and went on to return to Mzansi playing for Maritzburg United and Golden Arrows, between a failed trial at Chiefs – the club he would eventually join at the start of last season.
However, it’s only been in South Africa where he’s been featured at left-back, while during his time in Germany he partnered the Germany international, who has joined the Magpies from AC Milan in a €35-million transfer.
“Malik, I played with him at Schalke yes, and we have kept in contact, I actually called him the other day just to congratulate him, and being a left centre-back originally since I was younger playing there at Schalke and Newcastle,” he said.
“But I have also been able to play at left-back now and I feel I’m still learning and improving in that position.”
Cross also stated the start of the season which has produced two clean sheets, a far cry from the 11 games it took in the league before their first one last season – is down to the hard work over the last two months.
“In pre-season, we have worked to stick together,” he added.
“The defence spent a lot of time in pre-season understanding one another and helping one another and we said to ourselves we have to be much better this season and keeping clean sheets because last season we weren’t.”
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