Percy Tau has said that growing up his football heroes were his older brothers.
Tau is one of eight children raised by his single mother, Elizabeth, in Witbank.
Tau’s older brothers, Dumisani Tau and Mogau Tshehla, both also played professional football.
Tshehla sadly passed away in 2018, shortly before Tau’s transfer from Mamelodi Sundowns to Brighton.
Tau was speaking to the UK media, after officially joining up with the Brighton & Hove Albion team last week.
After spending two and a half years on loan in Belgium, Tau is finally available for the club he joined in 2018.
He made his FA Cup debut last Sunday in Brighton’s win over Newport County, and is line to make his EPL debut against Manchester City on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old says he didn’t follow much football on TV growing up, and instead idolised his brothers, who he would watch play in the the township.
“It was my brothers, I could see them everyday, we were playing football all the time, they’re older than me so I would sit down and watch them play in the township,” Tau told the British media.
“So I was like when I grow up I want to be like my brothers.”
“But they both played different positions. The one was a striker, the other one was a defender, but I just loved how they played football. They were always passionate, and training hard. And then they taught me a few tricks.”
“I’ve always looked to them, because they were the closest that I could see. I never spent too much time watching TV, because I was tired or sleeping, it was just seeing them play.”
