'Aden should be an example for all youngsters, not only at Chiefs but in South Africa,' said Miguel on his former teammate.
Former Chiefs defender Aden McCarthy played his first full 90 minutes for Azerbaijan side Sabah FK on Saturday. Picture: Zamani Makautsi/Gallo Images
Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel believes Aden McCarthy has set a shining example of what it is possible to achieve for an Amakhosi youngster.
McCarthy, the son of Chiefs legend Fabian McCarthy, came through Amakhosi development to win his place in the Chiefs first team. And after a stellar 2025/26 season, the 22-year-old sealed a move to Azerbaijan side Sabah FK.
Miguel – ‘Aden should be an example’
McCarthy played his first 90 minutes for Sabah in their 2-0 Azerbaijan Premier League win over Kapaz PFK on August 15.
“He is a special boy,” said Miguel, who played alongside McCarthy last season, as Chiefs finished third in the Betway Premiership.
“Aden should be an example for all youngsters, not only at Chiefs but in South Africa.
“He is very smart, he listens a lot. Nowadays (some of) the youngster generation come with a lot of demands but haven’t achieved anything.
“Aden was humble enough to understand that when he arrived in the first team, he focused on his next move, on what he should do (to achieve that) and what he should not do.”
“He is a very hard worker, he knows where he wants to go and that is why he is at Sabah now.
“He had this clear in his mind, that Chiefs was not enough. You have to want the next step.”
Miguel does believe it helped that Aden McCarthy had his father Fabian behind him. Fabian McCarthy played for Chiefs between 2003 and 2008 and won two Premiership titles, among other trophies.
“Obviously Aden had a good background. I know Fabian (McCarthy), I talked to Fabian a lot, he was very important for the progress of Aden,” added Miguel.
“The way he focused on his work, not only in the club but also outside, it was privilege to be with him. He knew what he was doing, how to recover well and be fit. I don’t know when he had a serious injury.”
‘Chiefs are doing well’
Miguel believes Chiefs are generally doing a good job of keeping their youngsters grounded in moving through the youth set-up into the first team.
“I feel Chiefs are doing well in terms of bringing players from the DDC into the first team,” he said.
“We have a psychologist and that is very important in the transition. And we have Sheppy (Dillon Sheppard, former DDC coach and now assistant coach to the first team.
“To go from development to the first team, players can be relaxed and think they have done it. But they haven’t achieved anything. We have won two games in the league (this season) but it doesn’t mean we are champions.
“You have to keep your mind in the right place and understand there is more to achieve. It is a long journey from the Under 15s or Under 16s to the first team but it is not enough. Chiefs are doing well to put that mindset in the players. You have to arrive and conquer and then go abroad. That is what Aden did and I am very proud of him.”
