Lucky "Sheriff" Baloyi (born 19 June 1991) is a South African soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Royal Am in the Premier Soccer League.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lucky Given Baloyi | ||
| Date of birth | (1991-06-19) 19 June 1991 (age 31) | ||
| Place of birth | Mokopane, South Africa | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Royal AM | ||
| Number | 35 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Manchester United (South Africa) | |||
| Tshiamo Sports Academy | |||
| 2005–2010 | Kaizer Chiefs | ||
| Soweto Panthers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2017 | Kaizer Chiefs | 72 | (5) |
| 2014–2015 | → Moroka Swallows (loan) | 35 | (1) |
| 2017–2021 | Bloemfontein Celtic | 119 | (3) |
| 2021- | Royal AM | 1 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2011 | South Africa U20 | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:30, 8 October 2019 (UTC) | |||
Baloyi got the nickname 'Sheriff' because nobody could get past him in at the back. He went for a trial at Chiefs from Tshiamo Sports Academy from Polokwane in 2005. There was a mix-up where Chiefs were expecting a defender, midfielder and striker and Tshiamo sent two midfielders and a striker. "When we arrived at Chiefs they asked, 'So who of you guys is a defender?' and the three of us kept quiet … We were so scared, because we thought we were going to be dismissed and I was so desperate to play for Chiefs, so I raised my hand and said, 'I'm the one who is a defender!" Baloyi did well at the trials and played in defence under Patrick Ntsoelengoe until Fani Madida took over to coach the reserves, when he was converted to midfield.[2]