In the latest edition of our feature Where Are They Now, KickOff catches up with former Orlando Pirates star defender Lucas Thwala on his life after football.
Who am I
"Lucas Thwala from Nkomazi in Mpumalanga, I played for Pirates' first-team for about 12 years.
"I also played for Platinum Stars and SuperSport United, and also the South Africa national Under-23 team and Bafana Bafana.
"I was the top goal scorer at one stage, I scored about 11 goals as a defender and was voted Player of the Year at Orlando Pirates."
My playing days
"I enjoyed them very much until the injuries spoiled it."
Did I make money from soccer?
"I can't say I did. I was in that process when I suffered an ankle injury. That was in 2013 at SuperSport.
"And apart from that, before you do anything for yourself, you must first build your parents a home.
"People tend to forget that we come from different backgrounds."
Where I'm living
"I'm back in Nkomazi here in Mbombela. When I left Johannesburg, I was already a family man. I had four children, but one has since passed on."
Jobs since playing the game
"To be honest, I've never been employed anywhere else. Even now, I'm sitting at home, jobs are scarce man.
"The only thing I'm busy with at the moment is assisting my former team as a chairperson in our promotional league.
"But that's not a job because I'm not getting paid. Yes, it's tough when you don't have an income as a father."
If I could do it again
"I'd change nothing, and I regret nothing because I had plans, and everything was going accordingly, until I got injured.
"Because of lack of knowledge, people assume all soccer players are the same, hey these people waste money, hey these people don't invest.
"It's just that we don't respond to such things because we feel like we don't owe anyone anything."