Former VfL Bochum winger Delron Buckley has shared his experience of being overlooked by South Africa’s top three football clubs after returning from a successful career in Europe. Buckley spent nearly 20 years in Germany, playing for teams such as Bochum, Borussia Dortmund, and Mainz. During his time abroad, he was a key player for the South African national team, Bafana Bafana, earning 73 caps, although the team struggled overall. In 2012, Buckley returned to South Africa and joined Maritzburg United, now known as Durban City. He played for the club for two years before transitioning to an assistant coaching role. Buckley expressed his willingness to join any of the country’s top three clubs, but they were not interested, citing his age as a concern. In an interview with iDiski Times, Buckley said: “If I tell you, you can probably get a shock. I actually wanted to play for those teams when I came back. I wanted to finish my career with Pirates, Chiefs, or Sundowns, but I was told I was too old to play.” At the time of his return, Buckley was 35 years old. He was informed that he was considered too old and might not be able to handle the league’s demands. As a result, he joined Maritzburg United, where he proved his worth by being named Man of the Match four times in his first season.