JOHANNESBURG – Simon Murray’s refusal to entertain scepticism from his family when he told them he was leaving Scotland to join Bidvest Wits is gradually paying off.
It’s been nearly three months of a fulfilling adventure for Murray in top-flight football this season.
“As much as back home we don’t know much about here, you also don’t know much about Scotland,” Murray insisted.
“Maybe at home we only hear the bad things about this country, but to be honest, I now tell all my family and friends about the greatness of Johannesburg.
“I’ve also been to Cape Town because I love my food, and the food here is top-notch.”
It is the first time in his career that Murray is playing outside of Scotland, having appeared for Premier League sides Dundee and Hibernian.
“So far, so good,” he said. “I am from very strict and professional clubs, on and off the pitch, and I feel I can bring something like that into the league. But there’s also professionalism here.”
The Clever Boys will depend on Murray to continue his scoring spree when they open their Telkom Knockout title defence against Free State Stars this afternoon at Goble Park (3.30pm kickoff).
So far in the PSL, the lanky striker has bagged three goals, starting two matches and making six substitute appearances.
“Maybe the strikers here lack composure in the box and final third,” he insisted.
“However, I have noticed that there are a lot of positives here because we create chances in our team. So if I can get maybe three or four chances, I’ll be able to get a couple of goals.”
In his last tenure in the Scottish Premier League, Murray scored three goals for Dundee in 14 appearances.
However, having already reached that margin for Wits, Murray refused to disclose what his targets are for the season.
On the other hand, he believes his team are equipped with enough personnel to help him reach the ‘secret’ milestone.
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