While transfer speculations keep swirling round Super Eagles’ striker, Victor Osimhen, the 2023 African Footballer of The Year has disclosed that there are three legends of the game he keeps looking up to, as he is inspired by the achievements of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Sports247 reports that Osimhen, who is currently on holiday in Lagos, after shining marvellously on loan at Galatasaray of Turkey in the immediate past season, pushed aside rave reviews trailing his own heroics in order to celebrate the three icons.
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The 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup gold medalist and highest scorer, which gave him the all-time record of 10 goals within a single edition of the cadet competition, took time out to reflect on the effects that watching Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar have had in helping him shape his career.
Osimhen, who previously played for VfL Wolfsburg of Germany, Racing Charleroi of Belgium, Lille Metropole of France and SSC Napoli of Italy, from where he moved on loan to Galatasaray last summer, revealed that he always had a strong desire of playing against one of his favourite trio of football stars or get to be in the same team with any of them.
The Nigerian ace, who was fondly called ‘Seamless Henchman’ by close pals during his early days at Ultimate Strikers FC of Olusosun near Ojota in Lagos, went on to single out Ronaldo as his main attraction and admitted he was shell-shocked the day they met in flesh.
He disclosed that he finally got the chance to meet his number role model after an Italian Serie A match during his days at Napoli, when they hosted Juventus, who at that time had Ronaldo in their Turin-based squad.
Osimhen recounted, “I used to say to my friends, ‘I am going to play either against or with Ronaldo and Messi or Neymar. These are like legends, people I love so much, and I would cherish taking a picture with them.
“Even if we lose 10-0 against them, I don’t mind. So, when I faced Ronaldo I Italy, he was still with Juventus at that time, I was star-struck. O, my God.”
Osimhen disclosed further that his spirited effort to get a photograph with Ronaldo revealed an important part of the Portuguese icon’s devotion to football, as he found out that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner never jokes with his fitness, and he went into the gym for one hour right after the match.
The Nigerian national team’s second highest goal scorer in history continued, “We played the game, we won 1-0. As he was going, I said to him, ‘Cris, I would like to take a photo with you,’ and he said I should come to their dressing room.
“Though he lost the game, he was ready to receive me. So, I quickly ran to our own dressing room, took off my shirt, and went to look for him. That took just about five minutes, but I could not find him there. Guess where he was … in the gym!
“After about 30 minutes of searching, (Gianluigi) Buffon found him for me, but he was still busy. So, I decided to wait for him.
It was a home game for me. So, even if it took up to five hours, I would wait for him and from there go to my house.”
Osimhen concluded by revealing that, apart from several photographs that he eventually got with the icon fondly called CR7, he gained additional inspiration from what the former Sporting Lisbon of Portugal, Manchester United of England and Real Madrid of Spain star told him.
“I was waiting up till one hour, and he was still there. He just continued working out. Later on, he called me to come, and I met him at the physio’s table.
“Two physios were massaging him at the same time, and he told one of them to take the photos. I also took a selfie. Then he said to me, ‘Great game. Just keep on going.’
“I shook his hand and said thank you so much. That took me to a higher level, and I was really excited when I told my friends about it,” Osimhen reminisced.
