Growing up in the informal settlement of Stellenbosch’s Kriefgat, Tylon Smith never had his own soccer ball and only received his first pair of boots at the age of 14. He watched his single mother raise her 3 kids with an air of dignity and determination, never letting the small wooden shack, which they all shared, deter her from pushing her kids to do their best. He vowed that one day, he would make enough money to take his mom out of that shack and give her the house that she deserves.
In July of this year, it was announced that the 20 year old Stellenbosch FC defender would make his European debut for the English club, Queens Park Rangers. The transfer is said to be worth R6.1 million and Tylon has signed on to a four year contract.
Tylon started attracting global attention when he won player of the tournament in South Africa’s first U-20 Africa Cup of Nations title with a 1-0 victory over Morocco. He was also instrumental in getting the team through the semifinal when won the winning goal in South Africa’s victory over Nigeria.
Tylon says that when he saw the contract, it felt like a life changing event and the first thing he will be doing is buying that house that his mom deserves.
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