A football player and student at Ogun State University of Technology, Favour Onyinye Philip has disclosed that his role model in the round leather game is Chelsea of England star, Reece James, Sports247 reports.
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The former student of Will-B Excellence Secondary School in Abogunloko area of Ikotun, Lagos, who friends fondly call ‘Generous,’ added that watching James play helps him improve as a right-full-back defender.
He added, “I am a disciplined and energetic right-back. I am known for my strong defensive awareness, timely tackles, overlapping runs, accurate crosses and ability to support both defence and attack effectively.
“My role model is Reece James of Chelsea FC. I admire his strength, composure, leadership qualities, defensive skills, intelligence and attacking contribution from the right-back position. I constantly study and model my game after his style.”
The silver medalist with the selected squad of Alimosho local government in the 2022 NAPPSS Sports Festival at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, added that his biggest ambition is to become a professional footballer in Europe, hence his determination while playing the game.
Favour also disclosed that he has been able to combine his studies with regular training sessions at Adebayo Samba Boys FC, which he joined after learning the basics at Binero Football Academy.
He added, “My biggest dream is to become a professional footballer and compete at the highest level. I want represent Nigeria internationally and inspire young players from my community.
“My biggest challenge, though, is how to gain greater exposure, get professional opportunities and have consistent access to top-level competition.
“I hope to overcome those challenges through discipline, consistent hard training, more self-development, tactical improvement and maintaining a strong mindset.
“I believe that once I do all of that, continue to maintain dedication in my training and focus fully on my development, I will get open doors in football.”
The fair-skinned soft-spoken lad cited his father and entire family members as his biggest motivators, mentors and helpers in football matters, as they always encourage him with conforting words, cash assistance and material support.
“My biggest mentor is Philip Zion, alongside my family and friends. They all continually support, guide and motivate me in my football journey. It is through their support that I’ve been able to come this far.
“My next target this year is to participate in major competitions and win a lot of tournaments. I want to go for trials, improve my overall performance and attract attention from scouts and academies.
“I also thank elders in my community for their continuous support and encouragement. Their belief in young talents motivates us to work harder and represent our community with pride and excellence.”
He concluded by suggesting a stronger policy direction from Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), as a way to further encourage young players not only to come out of the shadows but also for them to excel and become stars of the future.
“I respectfully encourage continued investment in grassroots football development and the creation of more transparent opportunities for young talents to be discovered and nurtured,” Favour posited.
