Chipolopolo legend Collins Mbesuma has responded to long-held claims by some fans that he failed to impress in the English Premier League during his brief stint at Portsmouth.
The 40-year-old retired striker, who graced the Castrol English Premier League trophy tour in Lusaka on Friday at the Manda Hill shopping mall, said his situation at Portsmouth was beyond his control.
“I didn’t fail [in the Premier League],” he responded to a question asked by this reporter. “Like you have said, it was something beyond my control. There were injuries also, that’s why I had to go on loan and go through [surgeries] but you know I can’t say everything on social media. I just had to move on but in my heart, I was very happy in my lifetime to play in the Premier League.”
Mbesuma was the second Zambian to play in the English Premier League.
He was signed by Portsmouth at the age of 21 from South African club Kaizer Chiefs in 2005 after impressing manager Alain Perrin in the South African league.
Mbesuma was signed to a three-year contract, but due to work permit issues, he trained with the Portsmouth U18 team during his first season before being loaned to Portuguese club Maritimo FC for a season in 2006/2007.
He returned to Portsmouth after his loan spell in Portugal and only made four appearances for the English club’s main team, all coming from the bench, as he never started a match in the 2007–08 Premier League season before he was later sold to Turkish club Bursaspor.
‘I opened the Premier League doors for Zambians’- Mbesuma
Mbesuma, who has 65 Zambian caps and 22 international goals, is the first indigenous Zambian to play in the English Premier League, after Neil Gregory, a Zambian-born British striker who appeared three times for Ipswich City.
READ ALSO: The History of Zambian Players in the English Premier League
The former Roan United striker described playing in the Premier League as a significant accomplishment, claiming that he paved the way for Zambians to play in England, particularly since Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu went on to score in the English top flight.
“I opened the doors [for Zambian players],” he said. “In life, someone must open that door.”
“[Playing in the Premier League] is a big achievement to play in the Premier League from Africa and direct to the Premier League.”
