Former Orlando Pirates striker’s coach Scott Chickelday has set the record straight on rumours he would return to the Buccaneers, but did admit that he would love to work for the club again.
Chickelday, who worked with Pirates’ forwards for five weeks last season, sent some fans into a frenzy when posting a video that showed him working with the Sea Robbers on social media.
While some thought Chickelday had indeed returned to help Pirates mid their current barren spell in front of goal, the Englishman revealed that it was an old video from his time in South Africa.
“I was just doing videos. And I didn’t realize until I posted it. I was like, ‘Oh, wow, people are gonna think…’ Anyway, it wasn’t that, it was just a video that I really liked,” he told iDiski Times exclusively.
“Obviously, we’ve come in and two players that I worked quite a lot with, and I just thought, ‘I’m just gonna repost this up’ and yeah it caused quite a little bit of a stir. To be honest, I didn’t think it was gonna happen.
“But [to tell you the truth] I’m just really busy at the minute. I’ve been going into work with some clubs, and just working individually with players that I normally work with from sort of the men’s game and the women’s game on both sides,”
“I’ve been very, very busy. But I’m still watching the South African football. I still watch most of the Pirates games, nearly all of them. I’m watching the progress.
“I know that they’ve been a little bit up and down this season. But obviously, they’ve had a CAF [Champions League] as well, haven’t they? So there’s been additional games that they’ve had to play, I suppose traveling as well. And it’s been quite a lot of traveling.
“So overall, I think they’re doing okay. But again, they’ve just, it just seems that they’re working on a little bit of the goals again.”
While there had been questions whether Pirates would look into bringing in recent press conferences, Chickelday has admitted that there has been no contact between him and the Soweto giants’ technical team or management, even though he’d love to return.
“No, no contact at all,” he responded when asked directly about any recent links to Pirates.
“I still speak to the players. I still speak to the players quite regularly though. Some of the players still message me. Maybe to get some advice and stuff. I’m still in contact with them after games. I’ll message them to say well done and stuff like that.
“But as for anyone from the club now, no. No one’s been in contact. Which is a shame because I would jump into coming back to them. I’m honest. I would be very, very open to coming back.”