Rooi, speaking in the latest issue of Amakhosi magazine, revealed that he had a weight problem and had to work hard to shed the extra few kilos.

“I was overweight. I knew that if I lost the extra weight I was carrying I would play regularly, or at least I was confident I would play more often,” said the player, who made his debut against Bidvest Wits in November 2008.

“I lost about 10 kilograms. I just changed my diet. Not anything hectic, I just told myself that I would stop eating things that were destructive to my body,” continued Rooi.

The hard-tackling defender has also paid a tribute to teammates, in particular his homeboy Abia Nale, for helping him along, “The whole team has been great and every player encourages each other. We have a great team spirit. One guy I really get along with and talk to a lot is Abia Nale. We are both quite religious and we get along very well,”

To read more on Thabang Rooi, buy the latest copy of Amakhosi magazine, currently in selected stores countrywide.