STRIKER Collins Mbesuma [right] has denied weight was behind his failed stint at Portsmouth FC in the English Premiership.
After breaking records at Kaizer Chiefs, both Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth were after his signature in 2005 but the striker opted for Pompey where he hardly got an eye in, as he struggled with fitness issue which many thought was due to over-weight.
But in an interview during the Carol Tshabalala’s #convosWithCarol show, Mbesuma denied that his weight had anything to do with his failure to tick at Portsmouth saying delay in processing his transfer due to work permit issues was the major factor.
“It was difficult to get a work permit. It was a bit complicated. So I stayed in Zambia for over a month and I was training alone as I waited for the work permit. When I got to England I was a bit behind so I had to play catch-up. You can’t train alone and go straight to play in the Premier League,” Mbesuma explained.
He said, it became more complicated when he got injured heading into his second season at Portsmouth as the team was battling with relegation and needed to bring in experienced players, leading to his being loaned out to Maritimo in Portugal for the 2006-2007 season.
#CollinsMbesumaZSM
Report: Ndinawe Simpelwe, TIMES OF ZAMBIA