Elder statesman

Captain Bartlett bridges youth-experience gap

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- Shaun Bartlett, the Charlton Athletic striker, seems the perfect captain for South Africa's World Cup squad.

An elder statesman in South African soccer, he played in all three of Bafana Bafana's 1998 World Cup matches in France, and personifies the bridge between youth and experience that could give South Africa a good showing.

Bartlett broke into the national squad just before the 1996 African Cup of Nations finals, where he was a substitute player at the beginning, but ended as a regular.

He has the potential to make it big in English soccer. He is very fast, good in the air and gifted with excellent ball-control. Competition for a place in Charlton's starting lineup has been fierce, though.

In addition, Bartlett has suffered from injuries that have kept him out of action for longer than any coach, including South Africa's Jomo Sono, would like.

Not many professional players can count a former president and Nobel Peace Prize-winner among their wedding guests. However, Bartlett had the great fortune of having Nelson Mandela at his wedding ceremony. The striker from Cape Town is a friend of Mandela's granddaughter and has fond memories of his special guest.

Before achieving his ultimate goal of playing in the English Premier League, Bartlett experienced the starkly different world of U.S. Major League Soccer, where he played for the Colorado Rapids and New York-New Jersey MetroStars.

He also had a spell with Swiss A division team Zurich FC. It was only at the ripe age of 29 that he finally realized his childhood dream and moved to England and the Premiership.

Even so, Bartlett whose soccer idol is Dutchman Ruud Gullit, continues to play a crucial role in his team's success. After occasionally standing in for South Africa captain Lucas Radebe, Bartlett was handed the captain's armband by former Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Queiroz.

 

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