Jeremy Doku has said that he looked up to Barcelona legends Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho growing up.
Speaking to Manchester City’s magazine for their October issue, he was quizzed about the players he idolised.
Unsurprisingly, Jeremy Doku named arguably two of the greatest dribblers of all time in Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho.
Jeremy Doku names Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho as his idols
Regarded as one of the best dribblers in Europe himself, the Belgian winger has been backed by Paul van Himst to become ‘one of the best players in the world’ in a year’s time.
The 21-year-old has been a breath of fresh air at Manchester City, beating defenders for fun with his nifty footwork and searing pace.
Now, Jeremy Doku has namechecked Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho as the two players he always idolised.
“As a kid, I never had anyone’s poster on my wall”, he said.
“I used to have players I loved to watch, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, players who were brilliant dribblers.”
“I learned to dribble on my own – I was always outside, playing with a football practicing but nowadays, you see kids do that less and less and you don’t see as many kids playing on the street with a ball anymore.”
Jeremy Doku should keep studying their games
One piece of advice that could perhaps help Jeremy Doku to further elevate his game is to continue to study the playstyles Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho.
Especially in an attempt to further hone his dribbling abilities, the former Rennes wideman could gain so much insight by re-watching games and clips from when the pair toyed with defenders.
In addition, Doku would also learn how the Blaugrana icons paired their natural skill with end product, both as goalscorers and creators at the elite level.
One of the many ways in which a young player can fulfil their full potential is by being a student of the game.
