Kerr leaves as Marumo rejects contract proposal

Dylan Kerr will almost certainly leave Marumo Gallants after the club did not exercise an option to retain him.

This despite guiding them to the Nedbank Cup success and helping them survive relegation in the DStv Premiership.  Gallants, formerly known as Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, finished 12th in the standings after a troubled year during which they changed ownership after reports of financial struggles.

When Kerr took over, the team was battling in second-from-bottom in the table, but somehow the Englishman performed a miracle of leading them to safety.

But he confirmed yesterday that he will be out of contract from today and that he and Gallants have failed to reach an agreement for a new deal. “We put a proposal, and they turned it down. They came back with an offer and we turned it down, so at the moment, I’m out of contract from tomorrow (today)," Kerr told Sowetan yesterday.

“You know, I only came here for four months. That was the plan. That was the agreement and to speak to the chairman at the end of the season (about renewal). That’s it.”

It is believed that Gallants have made contact with Spanish coach Pablo Franco Martin to take over at the club, with an offer having been tabled for him.

Gallants are also said to have held talks with another coach in Patrick de Wilde, with an offer already on the table. Reports say he's favourite to replace Kerr.

Kerr, who has appeared as an analyst for SuperSport pay television recently, however, said he would think about his future after the Euro 2020 and he believes something will come out for him.

“I don’t know what will happen. You will never know. Now I’m just watching the Euros. I’m out of contract, but I don’t listen to many people because you don’t know who is pulling them in ... if it is an agent or if it is someone from overseas,” he said.

“I saw the stories from a coach from overseas and so on, but I’m not dwelling much on that."