Orlando Pirates winger Vincent Pule admits he wants to repay the club for their faith after handing him a long-term contract while he was out injured.
The 31-year-old made back-to-back starts for Pirates for the first time since August 2022 after several injuries curtailed his progress with the club.
It appeared that he would be leaving the club upon the expiry of his contract but Pirates confirmed he extended his stay until 2025 with an option to extend for a further season.
“It was a very happy moment for me, the club has given me the opportunity to stay here and continue to showcase my talent and I’d like to thank them,” Pule said about his new contract that could turn until the end of the 2025/26 season.
“I was injured at that time and I think it was important for me to make sure to stay in the moment, I had to make sure I recovered and make sure I rewarded the team as well.”
Pule has scored 23 goals, with 14 assists in 141 games since joining the club from the now-defunct Bidvest Wits in July 2018 and holds a cult-hero status amongst the Ghost – which he said he doesn’t take for granted.
“You need support from different angles [to recover properly] my family has supported me from day one since I came here at the club, since I started playing football and I’d like to thank them as well, they gave me the support I needed,” he stated.
“Staying at the club, my grandfather used to favour this club and when the team loses nobody is allowed to come after 7 o’clock and I think for a club to give me another contract, it’s a big thing for me and I’m happy to stay at the club.”
Pule scored a cracking strike on turn in the last game of the 2018/19 season against Polokwane City at Orlando Stadium, which he won the PSL Goal of the Season at the PSL awards at ICC in Durban. Pirates, unfortunately, finished runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns for the league title.
“When you play for a big team, you need to make sure you do all the right things. As soon as you get inside the field, make sure you perform so you get the right support from fans as well. I’d like to thank them for the support as well, always encouraging me to say you’ll come back strong and here I am playing again,” said Pule.
