South Africa international Thulani Serero has completed a move to United Arab Emirates side Al Jazira with just days remaining in the current transfer window.
Serero was on the books of Dutch Eredivisie club Vitesse Arnhem, who he joined after a lengthy but difficult spell at Ajax Amsterdam.
However, after rediscovering his form at Vitesse and spending two seasons at the club, the 29-year-old has set sail for the Abu Dhabi-based outfit putting pen to paper on a two-year deal.
Club chairman Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi has hailed the signing of the Bafana Bafana star, who was most recently been part of the South Africa national team squad which did battle at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Serero is an exceptionally talented player who has plenty of experience of playing at the top-level. With his skills and abilities, we are confident that he will not only strengthen Al Jazira's squad for the upcoming season but also play a vital role that will help the club be successful, the chairman told the club's website.
While Serero's move does come as a shock having already made three appearances for Vitesse in the league this season, he has expressed his delight after the club unveiled his signing on Sunday afternoon.
I am thrilled to be joining Al Jazira in this next chapter of my career. The club has built a strong squad that can compete in all competitions and to be part of Al Jazira is a real privilege, he explained.
To play alongside many talented UAE national team players and international stars is something that I am looking forward to and I assure the fans that I will give my best in all of our matches."
Meanwhile, Serero is not the only African to play for the club.
Al Jazira has a rich history with African legend George Weah among the great stars to have played for this club. Al Jazira also has a strong reputation in the Netherlands with former Dutch star Phillip Cocu among the legends to have played for them.
I am excited to be working under another great Dutch coach in Jurgen Streppel, with his ideas and coaching philosophy together as a team we can help Al Jazira be a competitive side, he concluded.
