Freese: Kaizer Chiefs retire jersey number 20 in honour of iconic defender twitter facebook reddit twitter facebook reddit

Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Kaizer Chiefs will retire jersey number 20 in honour of former captain Howard Freese.

Making the announcement, the club's chair Kaizer Motaung said the jersey will not feature again on the pitch in order to honour the significance of its contribution to Amakhosi history.

The Rock - as Freese was widely known - won a total of 28 trophies with the Soweto giants, including 13 official titles.

Dedication and commitment

"Howard [Freese] is a living dedication of the commitment you show to something you truly love and he is a living testimony to the spirit of love and peace that Kaizer Chiefs espouses," Motaung said.

"As chairman of the club, I would like to announce that his number [20] should be properly retired. It will not feature again on the field of play, because of the significance of the contribution that has been made by Howard today.

"The jersey is now retired, but it is also treasured. It is in our treasure chest to honour the person who wore this number. It is a rare thing in football and it is because of the quality of the person that represented the club."

The announcement was made as the former defender returned the iconic jerseys he wore during the Mainstay Cup, Bob Save Super Bowl, BP Top 8, Ohlsson's Challenge, Iwisa Charity Spectacular, and the Castle Premiership tournaments.

"I'm bringing these jerseys back home," Freese said. "This is where they belong."

"When people ask what happened to the Chiefs' generation of the 1980s and 1990s, this is a symbol and a reference of the Chiefs generation we represented, for everyone to see.

Unbelievable contribution

Ntsie Maphike - Freese's teammate - praised the retired star for being an exemplary leader during his playing days.

"I am very emotional," stated Maphike. "It is amazing how Howard's efforts have added to this massive badge of Kaizer Chiefs.

"His contribution has been unbelievable, so Howard deserves all we've seen here today. His leadership has been exemplary on and off the field and he was a person you could trust on any matter."

It is the second time Amakhosi have retired a jersey belonging to one of their former stars after the number 15 - which belonged to Doctor Khumalo.