TS Galaxy veteran Bernard Parker says if it was anybody that was going to save his penalty on his return to football after a leg break, it was going to be Ronwen Williams.
Parker, 38, recovered from a horrific leg break suffered in a tackle from then-Sundowns midfielder Bongani Zungu in the Carling Knockout back in October 2023.
In April, he returned to the green grass in a remarkable recovery as he came on in the final minute of the 3-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld where Williams saved a last-minute penalty against ‘Die Hond’.
“After my injury, the best decision I did was to get back to my normal daily routine and make sure I don’t give my mind time to manipulate me, and also not for me to fall into depression or overthink, and I immediately got back to my daily routine,” Parker told iDiski Times.
“I would wake up, do gym, exercises, it kept me positive in a way, my studies helped me also, I got to understand and realise, the mind is powerful and without you exercising the mind, the positive signals won’t transfer into the body.
“Making that recovery in six months, and coming back against the team where the injury happened, I was more excited, there were no mixed emotions, I was just excited to be back on the field of play – and taking that penalty…
“I took that penalty against the best goalkeeper on the continent, the keeper who won the Golden Glove at AFCON – you’ve seen what he’s done at AFCON, and he saved my penalty, it was just one of those… I was up against the best keeper.
“If it was anybody, it had to be him – and two weeks later he saved [Iqraam] Rayners’ penalty who was the second top scorer in the league.
“So for me overall I was just happy and excited to be back on the field of play, thanks to God.”
Parker is contemplating his next career move and has been offered the chance to move into coaching with the Galaxy DStv Diski Challenge squad alongside Vuyo Mere.
