TheCable

Victor Osimhen has been a revelation this season for both club and country. Not only has the lanky 6ft 1” striker hit the ground running at his new club LOSC Lille, he has done same with the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

He was also a bright light in the UEFA Champions League, despite Lille’s group stage elimination, scoring against both Chelsea and Valencia, and attracting the attention of top clubs, including Real Madrid.

In a chat with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), the 21-year-old former Belgium-based striker spoke on a variety of topics, including his transfer to the French municipal club and the secret to his burgeoning career.

The Lagos-born player, who’s young career stuttered at Wolfsburg before rediscovering his form on loan at Sporting Charleroi in Belgium, stated that the attraction of the Lille project was central to his decision to move to a club that was once home to Vincent Enyeama, former Super Eagles captain and first-choice goalkeeper.

“When my representatives broke the deal that Lille really wants me, and they present [sic] the project they have for me and they have plans to execute this project, and I think that they fit in to what I was looking for as a striker,” he said.

He further discussed the love and affection he has enjoyed, not just from everyone at the club, but also the city.

“Of course when I got to the club the love was really massive, not just from the fans and the backroom staff, and also my new teammates,” said the former Under-17 star.

“I couldn’t expect such at that slightest moment but when I got there they were really so nice to me and of course the coach wanted me to play right away. That was when I knew I was really wanted in this club, it made me feel so relaxed. When I really had my debut it was one to remember for so many years or even forever.

“Life in Lille is tremendously good, it’s really nice I love it there. The people are so nice, when you go out they want to take pictures with you.

“For me I think Lille is a very good city, not just about the football, Lille is a very good city, they have a lot of good people willing to help you no matter the situation and I’m really happy in went there.”

…Credits “almost half” of his success to coach Amunike

The year 2019 was a success for Osimhen, the Golden Boot winner at Chile 2015, and the season continues to breed goals for him.

He has scored 13 goals from 24 games in all competitions already this season, averaging a goal in two games. He also added four goals for the Super Eagles in four matches between September and November, and looks set to become the long-term successor to Odion Ighalo for Nigeria.

Discussing his recent success — which was long predicted when he scored 10 goals to lead the Golden Eaglets to a fifth Under-17 FIFA World Cup triumph — Osimhen credited it to discipline instilled by coach Emmanuel Amunike, who led Eaglets to the trophy.

“I would rewind back to when I joined the Under-17, when I first went to the camp, in my own mentality I felt the coach didn’t like me, I don’t know why but for me I thought he didn’t like me or something like that.

“Every time he would speak to me he would yell at me, on the pitch he would do so many things to me but for me I thought he was making me to suffer or something like that. So there was a time when I wanted to leave the camp. I spoke to the coordinator and he told me to be calm and be patient that the coach knows what he’s doing,” he said.

“For me I think when you have chosen this path you have to be disciplined. Discipline is the first thing, whether you have a coach or you don’t have a coach guiding you, I think discipline is the first thing, and I’m really happy I went through coach Emmanuel Amuneke.

“Everything I am today, everything I would be in the future, I attribute almost half of my success to him, whatever I’ve achieved he really set my path, he really makes me to understand that life is not all about talent, you have to work hard, be disciplined and listen to the coach’s instruction, either on the pitch or off the pitch. I think other players that played under him can testify, not just me.”

Osimhen scored a total of 23 club goals in 2019 for Charleroi (11) and Lille (13). He has also featured in all but one league game (18) for Lille, while also featuring in five UCL games.

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