Steve Barker reflects on Jayden Adams journey to international stardom

Adams died last week, shortly after representing Bafana Bafana at the FIFA World Cup in the Americas, although the cause of his death has not yet been confirmed. 

Speaking at Adams' memorial service, Barker paid a heartfelt tribute to the 25-year-old, whom he coached at Stellenbosch FC, remembering his remarkable journey from promising teenager to one of SA’s brightest football talents.

"The first time I met him he was a 15-year-old training with our first team, and he would walk to training after school. He was a small little kid and I was always worried that he may just not develop into the young strong man that he became, but his technical ability even at that age was just amazing."

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With his life cut short, Barker bemoaned not knowing what else was in store for Adams, who had captured two league titles with Mamelodi Sundowns as well as a recent CAF Champions League winners’ medal. 

"At Stellenbosch I sometimes felt like he would play in second or third gear, but he was still our best player. He went on to excel at Mamelodi Sundowns even though I felt he had another gear, and he had the ability to join any club and raise his level to any standard that was required."