For some reason I thought he was Norweigan, just something about the name "strom"
Lillestrom?
Stromsg....some FC I've vaguely come across.
Any Norweigan descent?
Interesting Young Players
- Thread starter King Binny
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
For some reason I thought he was Norweigan, just something about the name "strom"
Lillestrom?
Stromsg....some FC I've vaguely come across.
Any Norweigan descent?
Close.
Lindström is a very common Swedish name.
Who was that Swedish player Arsenal signed but like never played? Kimstrom?
@Kay Age El , how is Roony doing in Köpenhamn?
Do you believe the hype?
Do you believe the hype?
Yeah I like him. Thought he was even more impressive when he broke through at 16yo but it seems he’s finding form again. Very talented, industrious, direct and a big goal-threat.
Don’t think he’s quite ready for a Liverpool-move but maybe sub-top Prem in the next few seasons if he can build on what he’s already got.
Great thanks, I was just reading about him. He's a bit disappointed that he didn't make the national team. Based on the little I've seen of him and the current team we have he's at least good enough to be on the bench. Our midfield is shit.
He did get selected by the u21s, though.
Got his move to Ajax a few weeks ago, £15-20m....excited to see how he fares.
Amara Diouf - has an agreement to join Metz
Joao Neves, another starlet Benfica will be selling for big money
Club Brugge's Antonio Nusa
But he is a bit of a Nusance for the opposition defenders !!!!
Victor Boniface: I’m different because I don’t watch strikers
[article]In an exclusive interview with Pulse Sports, Victor Boniface speaks on the origin of his game style, as well as his admiration for manager Xabi Alonso
In a summer window that saw Manchester United shell out €75 million for Rasmus Hojlund, Napoli frighten Victor Osimhen admirers off with a €150 million valuation, and Paris Saint-Germain commit €160 million to signing Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos, the €20-odd million that Bayer Leverkusen paid for Victor Okoh Boniface could come to be looked upon as one of the bargains of the decade.
All of the above were spawned by more exciting leagues than the Belgian Pro, but to judge the quality of the wine by its skin would be a mistake in this case. With five goals in all competitions already since joining Die Werkself, the 22-year-old is already serving notice of his ability, and has drawn praise from manager Xabi Alonso, who in an interview with Bild described Boniface as “not just a classic striker, not just a regular poacher.”
The word ‘complete’ has attached itself to the former Union St Gilloise striker, and for good reason too. Per Opta (via WhoScored and FBref), over the past year, he has been in the 95th percentile (of strikers) in all of Europe for progressive carries, successful take-ons, and assists per 90. And that is before even coming around to the goals: last season, he finished as joint top scorer in the UEFA Europa League with six goals, as part of a tally of 22 in 55 games.
“He does everything well,” Alonso said. “Not only with his game, he helps the team.”
High praise from Alonso, who is considered one of the brightest managerial prospects in Europe, and went some way toward backing up the hype with his run to the Europa League semi-finals last season. The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich player was also one of the most accomplished midfielders of his generation who, among other things, won the 2010 World Cup with Spain and the Champions League in 2005 with Liverpool.
A self-confessed Arsenal fan (his no-look, standing foot pass is a tribute to Thierry Henry), Boniface tells Pulse Sports he was star-struck nonetheless upon meeting his new manager following his signing in the summer. “To work with a coach like Alonso is… Because, apart from him being a coach, he was also a great football player.
“I remember after I signed with Leverkusen, I had to do a meeting with him where he was, like, telling me the tactics and everything. In my head – but I didn’t say this to him – I was like, ‘Man, can you just wait let me snap a picture with you?’ He was telling me the reason why I was signed, but in my head I was like, you know, this guy's a legend!”
Alonso’s first briefing may not have gotten through much, but his new charge has nevertheless hit the ground running in his own inimitable style.
So, to what does that owe? More specifically, how does a centre-forward accrue such a diverse skill set? Boniface credits two things. First is a quote by Kjetil Knutsen – who managed him at Bodo/Glimt – that has stayed with him ever since: “If you invest in the team, the team will invest in you.” Second is, ironically, the fact that his development did not involve observing other centre-forwards at all.
“Respect to all the great strikers and everything but me, I don't watch a lot of strikers’ videos, to be honest with you,” he says. “Recently I started watching, but before now I watched players like Neymar and (Hatem) Ben Arfa, you know?”
There is a pattern there: these are arch-entertainers, high on flair and expression, if not always efficiency. It certainly fits with Alonso’s assessment of Boniface as a player who “wants to enjoy the game”, although there is still a rational element to the striker’s choice of role model, as he explains.
“Why most people might see my play style and think it’s different is because, right through my academic time in Nigeria, I was playing as a number 10, as a midfielder. So I never watched… Like, if you come to my house up to this very moment, I still watch a lot of players like Santi Cazorla, for example, (Andres) Iniesta. I watched all those players because of, like, when they play in these small, tight spaces.”
Which is all well and good but, Neymar aside, none of these listed were particularly prolific, and a striker is still expected to score goals.
As it turns out, the Bundesliga affords Boniface ample opportunity to put his learning into practice, its transitional nature meaning that, when isolated against a defender or two, he can try a trick or two. “Not like you can do everything but you can learn from them (Neymar et al).” When it does come off, you get goals like his first against Darmstadt, a run from inside his own half that left a couple of defenders in the dirt.
Bayern Munich this weekend will present an altogether more stringent examination, possessing as they do an accomplished, skilled centre-forward of their own in Harry Kane. Leverkusen are perfect so far this season, and so it promises to be a cracker at Allianz Arena; best-case scenario is they keep that up, with Boniface continuing to dazzle; worst-case, Boniface gets a close-up view of what his final form might well look like.[/article]
Last edited:
Newcastle's Yankuba Minteh with a goal and an assist today for Feyenoord
EuroWatch: Antonio Nusa – the teenager compared to Neymar and Haaland who deserves the hype
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor
Sep 18, 2023
2
Erling Haaland is no longer the brightest young thing in Norwegian football.
That honour now belongs to 18-year-old Antonio Nusa and, week by week, people are starting to know his name.
Naturally so. Nusa is a two-footed wide forward with gliding pace and beguiling skill, who can drive with the ball or caress it around the tightest corners. You already pity the full-backs who have to face him.
On Saturday night, he was a match-winner for Club Brugge, scoring the third goal in what would become a 4-2 win over Charleroi in the Pro League. Nusa was only a substitute in that game, but understandably given his exertions in the international break.
He scored his first goal for Norway on his debut against Jordan and, on his second appearance, against Georgia, created goals for Haaland and Martin Odegaard. The second assist sent a shimmer of appreciation through the crowd in Oslo. Nusa squared up a pair of Georgian defenders, then disappeared away from them with a blur of skill before cutting back for Odegaard to score. Stadiums do not make noises like that often.
Antonio Nusa starred for Norway against Georgia (Fredrik Varfjell/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
But Nusa is in that moment, at that stage of his career. His promise is overwhelming and yet unrealised, meaning nobody can be quite sure what he might do next. What is certain is that Nusa is fast becoming appointment viewing.
He was signed by Club Bruges for €3million (£2.6m; $3.2m) in 2021 but was raised by Stabaek, the Eliteserien side from Baerum, just outside Oslo. He joined when he was 13 and was initially limited in the number of training sessions he could attend. Nusa’s family lived in Langhus, to Oslo’s south, and the journey – an hour there and back by train and bus – was too much to undertake daily. Instead, he trained with Stabaek twice a week, spending the rest of his time at home, playing local football.
Gaute Larsen has worked in football for over 30 years. He coached Haaland at Bryne and he has been managing Stabaek’s second team since 2017. He remembers Nusa as a self-starter – a teenager “who was always studying YouTube, watching Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar, and training by himself”.
That influence shows. Nusa has unhelpfully been christened the Norwegian Neymar by the media, but – in terms of talent at least – it is not such an outlandish comparison. He has confidence with the ball and a habit of scoring stylish, spectacular goals. Within those moments, it is easy to spot the influence of that trio of players: the way he teases defenders, how he flows into the space allowed by a defence, and the capacity to find shooting angles.
GO DEEPER
Brobbey, Nusa, Moukoko and more: Picking 21 rising stars for the U21 Euros
Larsen tells a story from a youth game when Stabaek’s under-14s had travelled to face Inter Milan in a youth tournament. Stabaek drew 2-2 and were celebrating a creditable result in the dressing room when they heard a knock on their door. It was Christian Chivu, the former Champions League winner who is now the head coach of the Serie A club’s Primavera – their youth academy – and he wanted to know who Stabaek’s No 10 was. When Nusa raised his hand, Chivu told him what a good player he was destined to become.
ADVERTISEMENT
As Nusa got older and his balance, technique and acceleration were fortified by a growing height and developing upper body that allowed him to protect the ball, his progress through Stabaek’s system quickened. He was playing for their under-19 side when he was 15, in autumn 2020, and by the beginning of 2021, he was training with the first team full-time. The Nusa family were still living in Langhus, so Gaute Larsen would drive Nusa to and from training each day, 30km there and 30km back, six days a week.
It was more than worth it. He made his debut for the first team as a 16-year-old substitute against Bodo/Glimt and punctuated the occasion with a goal of ludicrous quality. On his first start for Stabaek, away to Viking, he scored twice more.
The original development plan had been for him to stay in Norway for a further year. He was still just 16 when Club Bruges made a €3million offer in the summer of 2023 and Nusa, his mother, father, and the coaching staff at Stabaek were all initially apprehensive about him moving to a new country at such a young age.
Club Bruges helped assuage those concerns. Their standing in European football and reputation for developing young players was a reassurance in itself. In recent years, they have either raised or otherwise helped to develop Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere, RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda and Bayer Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounnou, among others. They are a club built to nurture and they could also offer regular football.
GO DEEPER
Ten Hag making tough Utd job harder; Chelsea's booing fans; Arteta's a genius or a mad man - The Briefing
Club Bruges actually have two professional teams. The senior side play in the Pro League, but Club NXT – their under-23s – compete in the Challenger Pro League, in Belgium’s second tier, meaning that players not ready for the first team can be exposed to competitive, adult football. Highly rated Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels played for NXT before moving to Germany. Maxim De Cuyper, a Belgium Under-21 full-back, is another alumnus who has just broken into the Club Bruges first team.
ADVERTISEMENT
Importantly, both teams also train together at Belfius Basecamp, the new €13million training base opened in 2019 and which offers a quality and range of facilities that many clubs outside Europe’s elite cannot. Ensuring Nusa had the benefit of those surroundings as early as possible was important to Club Bruges and a reason why his departure from Stabaek was accelerated.
So far, the move has been a great success. Nusa made an initial breakthrough last season, playing over 700 minutes across the Pro League season. He also had his first experience of Champions League football, scoring against Porto in the group stage, all before he had turned 18. This year, he has started four of six league games and has been among their most productive attacking players.
Antonio Nusa has made an impression in the Champions League (Bruno Fahy/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)
Inevitably, the interest is coming. In fact, it has already arrived. Over the summer, Chelsea made an approach that was worth 10 times what Club Bruges had paid for Nusa just two years before. Arsenal and Liverpool are supposedly interested, as well as Borussia Dortmund. Nusa seems in no rush, though, and he signed a new contract in April that runs until the summer of 2027.
That level-headedness does not surprise Gaute Larsen. He speaks fondly of many of the players he has worked with in the past and remains in regular contact with Nusa. His early success and those first thrilling steps on the international stage have evidently meant a great deal to him – and not just because of how brightly Nusa’s talent has flashed.
“I’m very proud because I know how hard he has worked by himself,” he tells The Athletic. “My philosophy has always been to develop players as humans and for them to play with respect, kindness and everything else. When you see that kind of person succeed, it warms your heart.”
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor
Sep 18, 2023
2
Erling Haaland is no longer the brightest young thing in Norwegian football.
That honour now belongs to 18-year-old Antonio Nusa and, week by week, people are starting to know his name.
Naturally so. Nusa is a two-footed wide forward with gliding pace and beguiling skill, who can drive with the ball or caress it around the tightest corners. You already pity the full-backs who have to face him.
On Saturday night, he was a match-winner for Club Brugge, scoring the third goal in what would become a 4-2 win over Charleroi in the Pro League. Nusa was only a substitute in that game, but understandably given his exertions in the international break.
He scored his first goal for Norway on his debut against Jordan and, on his second appearance, against Georgia, created goals for Haaland and Martin Odegaard. The second assist sent a shimmer of appreciation through the crowd in Oslo. Nusa squared up a pair of Georgian defenders, then disappeared away from them with a blur of skill before cutting back for Odegaard to score. Stadiums do not make noises like that often.
Antonio Nusa starred for Norway against Georgia (Fredrik Varfjell/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
But Nusa is in that moment, at that stage of his career. His promise is overwhelming and yet unrealised, meaning nobody can be quite sure what he might do next. What is certain is that Nusa is fast becoming appointment viewing.
He was signed by Club Bruges for €3million (£2.6m; $3.2m) in 2021 but was raised by Stabaek, the Eliteserien side from Baerum, just outside Oslo. He joined when he was 13 and was initially limited in the number of training sessions he could attend. Nusa’s family lived in Langhus, to Oslo’s south, and the journey – an hour there and back by train and bus – was too much to undertake daily. Instead, he trained with Stabaek twice a week, spending the rest of his time at home, playing local football.
Gaute Larsen has worked in football for over 30 years. He coached Haaland at Bryne and he has been managing Stabaek’s second team since 2017. He remembers Nusa as a self-starter – a teenager “who was always studying YouTube, watching Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar, and training by himself”.
That influence shows. Nusa has unhelpfully been christened the Norwegian Neymar by the media, but – in terms of talent at least – it is not such an outlandish comparison. He has confidence with the ball and a habit of scoring stylish, spectacular goals. Within those moments, it is easy to spot the influence of that trio of players: the way he teases defenders, how he flows into the space allowed by a defence, and the capacity to find shooting angles.
GO DEEPER
Brobbey, Nusa, Moukoko and more: Picking 21 rising stars for the U21 Euros
Larsen tells a story from a youth game when Stabaek’s under-14s had travelled to face Inter Milan in a youth tournament. Stabaek drew 2-2 and were celebrating a creditable result in the dressing room when they heard a knock on their door. It was Christian Chivu, the former Champions League winner who is now the head coach of the Serie A club’s Primavera – their youth academy – and he wanted to know who Stabaek’s No 10 was. When Nusa raised his hand, Chivu told him what a good player he was destined to become.
ADVERTISEMENT
As Nusa got older and his balance, technique and acceleration were fortified by a growing height and developing upper body that allowed him to protect the ball, his progress through Stabaek’s system quickened. He was playing for their under-19 side when he was 15, in autumn 2020, and by the beginning of 2021, he was training with the first team full-time. The Nusa family were still living in Langhus, so Gaute Larsen would drive Nusa to and from training each day, 30km there and 30km back, six days a week.
It was more than worth it. He made his debut for the first team as a 16-year-old substitute against Bodo/Glimt and punctuated the occasion with a goal of ludicrous quality. On his first start for Stabaek, away to Viking, he scored twice more.
The original development plan had been for him to stay in Norway for a further year. He was still just 16 when Club Bruges made a €3million offer in the summer of 2023 and Nusa, his mother, father, and the coaching staff at Stabaek were all initially apprehensive about him moving to a new country at such a young age.
Club Bruges helped assuage those concerns. Their standing in European football and reputation for developing young players was a reassurance in itself. In recent years, they have either raised or otherwise helped to develop Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere, RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda and Bayer Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounnou, among others. They are a club built to nurture and they could also offer regular football.
GO DEEPER
Ten Hag making tough Utd job harder; Chelsea's booing fans; Arteta's a genius or a mad man - The Briefing
Club Bruges actually have two professional teams. The senior side play in the Pro League, but Club NXT – their under-23s – compete in the Challenger Pro League, in Belgium’s second tier, meaning that players not ready for the first team can be exposed to competitive, adult football. Highly rated Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels played for NXT before moving to Germany. Maxim De Cuyper, a Belgium Under-21 full-back, is another alumnus who has just broken into the Club Bruges first team.
ADVERTISEMENT
Importantly, both teams also train together at Belfius Basecamp, the new €13million training base opened in 2019 and which offers a quality and range of facilities that many clubs outside Europe’s elite cannot. Ensuring Nusa had the benefit of those surroundings as early as possible was important to Club Bruges and a reason why his departure from Stabaek was accelerated.
So far, the move has been a great success. Nusa made an initial breakthrough last season, playing over 700 minutes across the Pro League season. He also had his first experience of Champions League football, scoring against Porto in the group stage, all before he had turned 18. This year, he has started four of six league games and has been among their most productive attacking players.
Antonio Nusa has made an impression in the Champions League (Bruno Fahy/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)
Inevitably, the interest is coming. In fact, it has already arrived. Over the summer, Chelsea made an approach that was worth 10 times what Club Bruges had paid for Nusa just two years before. Arsenal and Liverpool are supposedly interested, as well as Borussia Dortmund. Nusa seems in no rush, though, and he signed a new contract in April that runs until the summer of 2027.
That level-headedness does not surprise Gaute Larsen. He speaks fondly of many of the players he has worked with in the past and remains in regular contact with Nusa. His early success and those first thrilling steps on the international stage have evidently meant a great deal to him – and not just because of how brightly Nusa’s talent has flashed.
“I’m very proud because I know how hard he has worked by himself,” he tells The Athletic. “My philosophy has always been to develop players as humans and for them to play with respect, kindness and everything else. When you see that kind of person succeed, it warms your heart.”
The USMNT want Premier League wonderkid Luca Koleosho – this is why
By Andy Jones
Sep 17, 2023
24
Luca Koleosho is used to being in demand.
The 19-year-old was coveted by clubs across Europe this summer after deciding to leave Espanyol in Spain, eventually joining Premier League newcomers Burnley.
And internationally, too, there is a scramble for his services: he may have spent his summer representing Italy Under-20s, but the United States, Canada and Nigeria have not given up hope of persuading him to commit to them. He is qualified to play for all of them and all four will be studying his progress in England with interest.
ADVERTISEMENT
It is a startling rise for a player who had just six senior appearances to his name before this season, yet the excitement around him does not look overhyped. This is why Koleosho is a wanted man.
When Luca Koleosho’s name was put forward by Burnley’s recruitment department as a summer target, even dealmakers within the club were scurrying to Google to find out just who they were looking at.
Burnley were hardly short of wingers (seven arrived at Turf Moor this summer) and given his age and experience, it was unclear what his role would be.
Vincent Kompany, however, was very sure. During Zoom conversations with Koleosho, the Belgian talked in detail about how he viewed the youngster’s short- and long-term development. His message was clear, no matter a player’s age, those who impress in training will be rewarded with starts.
Burnley faced stiff competition from clubs in Germany, France and Italy, but the Premier League was a significant factor for Koleosho, as was the fact other clubs were suggesting being eased into the first team would be a slower process. Kompany is also a manager players want to play for. “Vincent Kompany was a crucial factor,” says CAA Stellar executive chairman David Manasseh, who oversaw the deal.
Koleosho has had to settle into a new country on his own, but he has enjoyed integrating into Burnley’s dressing room and has adapted to Kompany’s high standards and demanding sessions.
Luca Koleosho has adapted quickly to Burnley’s methods (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
What makes his start to the season even more impressive is how busy his summer has been. He won the Under-19 European Championship with Italy, a tournament that did not finish until the middle of July.
After a one-week break, he was on a plane to Portugal to undergo medical tests and sign for Burnley and duly did enough in pre-season to earn a start in the season opener against Manchester City.
In attendance that evening were his parents, who only found out their son was starting through people texting them. Luca had kept it quiet.
“When we saw him come out I just started crying,” his mother Melissa tells The Athletic. “Seeing your child live his dream… I was just so proud and happy for him. Then I got nervous and stressed because I had no control over it.
“The advice we always give him every day is (to) have fun out there, play fast, play hard and enjoy every moment. That’s what he has done all his life.”
Born in Connecticut, Koleosho had a ball at his feet from the moment he could walk. The house and garden were so strewn with them that they became an obstacle course for his mother to navigate.
Melissa was a USL W-League player and passed a love for the sport to her son. His talent meant he quickly outgrew his local team, so he joined Manhattan Kickers, a youth soccer school in New York City for children aged 5-12.
It required a three-hour round trip to drive to multiple sessions throughout the week and while Melissa was uncertain, Luca was determined that this was what he wanted. That competitive streak has always been evident, even at school, when he was determined to be the first to finish a test, regardless of the result.
Speed may not necessarily have helped there, but on the pitch, it marked him out as special. It was evident in him registering his first Premier League assist in the 5-2 defeat to Tottenham.
After Burnley worked the ball from right to left, Connor Roberts played a pass in behind Pedro Porro for Koleosho.
The winger was too quick for Porro and drove to the byline…
… before pulling the ball back for Lyle Foster to score.
According to data from fbref.com ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, of players who have clocked 100 minutes or more this season, Koleosho is averaging the most take-on attempts per 90 minutes – 8.64. It is a small sample size but also a clear indication of his intent.
ADVERTISEMENT
He is direct and dynamic and while the end product is not always executed with precision, that should improve with time.
In this example against Tottenham, Koleosho received a pass and his body shape meant Porro was unsure which way he would dribble.
He ended up drifting inside and skipping past the challenge of Pape Matar Sarr to open up space centrally.
He continued his dribble as his lack of support limited his passing options and he was stopped.
Koleosho can go on the outside, too, on his weaker left foot. He used his pace to win this race against Porro…
… before using his quick feet to chop back inside.
His pass to Zeki Amdouni lacked accuracy and his team-mate was unable to control the ball, so the opportunity was lost.
Despite the small sample size available, Koleosho has also shown why he can be an asset to Kompany out of possession. According to Opta, of all players who have played a minimum of 100 minutes, before the international break, Koleosho has averaged the most possession regains in the final third – 2.76 per 90 minutes.
He was first to a loose ball in the final third against Aston Villa…
… before turning away from two closing defenders…
… and laying the ball off to Amdouni, who saw his shot blocked.
This, according to Melissa, is nothing new. “What’s amazing about watching him play right now is that it is how we’ve always seen him play,” she says. “It’s very natural and his personality is coming out on the pitch.”
There is more to his game. His former coach at Kickers, Evan Rosenthal, did not want his pace to become too dominant in his game. His decision-making needed work and sometimes he was guilty of believing the best option for the team was to try to do it all on his own.
“He just picked up elements of the game way faster than other kids,” Rosenthal told The Athletic in 2022. “It is a tough dynamic when you have a really good player because they feel they are the best option for the team when that’s not always the case. So, he was a hard one to manage.”
Key to making him a more complete player was futsal, a small-sided game usually played indoors and on smaller pitches.
Koleosho became more of a team player. He combined with team-mates more often, improved his movement off the ball, worked on his weaker left foot and developed his passing range.
At Kickers, Koleosho’s team travelled to Barcelona twice because one of the coaches was from there. After his second trip, the youngster told his parents he wanted to continue his career in Spain. He felt the style of play, featuring short, sharp passing combinations that resembled futsal, would help him develop into the player he wanted to be.
Luca Koleosho with Manhattan Kickers (Evan Rosenthal)
For a footballer, it was a reasonable suggestion, but slightly less so for a 10-year-old. Yet his mind was made up, so he turned down the easier stepping stone of a place in the New York Red Bulls academy and instead joined Catalonia-based third-division side CF Reus, who had tracked him during tournaments he played in during the Spain trips.
Moving to Spain – aged 11 – meant making sacrifices. Family and friends were far away and Melissa would get phone calls from her son in tears. The option to come home was always on the table, but Koleosho’s determination to succeed meant it stayed there.
“It was a huge sacrifice for all of us,” says Melissa. ”Being away from him and having to parent him from overseas was very difficult, but it has proven to be worth it.
“Luca is very motivated and his goal has always been that he wants to be the best player and that doesn’t come without struggle. He missed his friends and family and he’s learning a different language, but in his head, he was improving and that drove him.”
Koleosho’s development continued but, in 2019, CF Reus were expelled from the Segunda Division B due to the non-payment of player salaries and ultimately liquidated the following year.
It could have left the youngster in limbo, but Espanyol had been tracking his progress and brought him into their academy at 15. When he turned 16 he became a regular in the under-18s and earned his first professional contract, a three-year deal, in 2021.
Espanyol wanted to be patient with his development, but his performances during the 2021-22 season for the under-19 and reserve teams made him difficult to ignore. His reward was a place in the first team matchday squad on the final day of the season.
Fast forward a year and Koleosho was ready to make another big move. The key was finding the right fit and crucial to that was a coach who believed in young players and was willing to allow them to develop through playing time. His parents offered their son advice, but his decision to join Burnley was his alone.
Key to that was Kompany. “When I see what Vincent does, I wish I was still playing,” Melissa says. “He’s the type of coach you want. He brings so much to the table; exciting, young, smart and he is someone you can trust. I told Luca to absorb as much as he can from the whole coaching staff and be a sponge. Vincent is the right fit for him.”
It has taken longer to adapt to the weather, but his parents have helped him settle. His father, Olukayode, is currently in England with him and Melissa will be flying over at the start of October.
“He’s loving it,” says Melissa. “As long as Luca is playing football he can adjust to any environment. He’s getting along with his team-mates and as long as he’s playing and feeling like he’s developing and being challenged, then he’s driven to keep going along this path.”
With his club situation settled, that just leaves his international prospects. Melissa is Italian-Canadian and his father Nigerian-American, so he can represent all four nations and all are tracking his progress.
Luca Koleosho played for Italy Under-20s this month (Reinaldo Coddou H./Getty Images for DFB)
During the recent international break, he represented Italy Under-20s. He has enjoyed representing the country but other options have not been ruled out. He turned out for the United States at under-15 level and was called up to the Canada Under-20 squad in 2020.
Canada’s assistant coach Eric Tenllado is a former Espanyol coach and their recruitment attempts were strong. Despite the under-20 camp being cancelled due to Covid-19, they continued to track him and named him in the senior squad for the June 2022 internationals against Iran and Panama. Both were cancelled, so he remained uncapped. The camp did allow him to assess the setup and meet manager John Herdman and the squad.
GO DEEPER
Luca Koleosho's Canada role could progress like his career has: quickly
The benefit of representing a European team is a player usually returns earlier to clubs than CONCACAF nations, such as Canada and the United States. That can impact a manager’s selection because European players will have had a handful of training sessions and been more involved in preparations.
Given the competition in Koleosho’s position, that could be vital, especially as he is still establishing himself and only involved at youth level internationally.
“The priority right now is the Premier League and Burnley, everything else is second,” says Melissa. “Eventually he will make his decision when he’s ready.”
Koleosho, you sense, is a player who will get to where he wants to be – sooner rather than later.
By Andy Jones
Sep 17, 2023
24
Luca Koleosho is used to being in demand.
The 19-year-old was coveted by clubs across Europe this summer after deciding to leave Espanyol in Spain, eventually joining Premier League newcomers Burnley.
And internationally, too, there is a scramble for his services: he may have spent his summer representing Italy Under-20s, but the United States, Canada and Nigeria have not given up hope of persuading him to commit to them. He is qualified to play for all of them and all four will be studying his progress in England with interest.
ADVERTISEMENT
It is a startling rise for a player who had just six senior appearances to his name before this season, yet the excitement around him does not look overhyped. This is why Koleosho is a wanted man.
When Luca Koleosho’s name was put forward by Burnley’s recruitment department as a summer target, even dealmakers within the club were scurrying to Google to find out just who they were looking at.
Burnley were hardly short of wingers (seven arrived at Turf Moor this summer) and given his age and experience, it was unclear what his role would be.
Vincent Kompany, however, was very sure. During Zoom conversations with Koleosho, the Belgian talked in detail about how he viewed the youngster’s short- and long-term development. His message was clear, no matter a player’s age, those who impress in training will be rewarded with starts.
Burnley faced stiff competition from clubs in Germany, France and Italy, but the Premier League was a significant factor for Koleosho, as was the fact other clubs were suggesting being eased into the first team would be a slower process. Kompany is also a manager players want to play for. “Vincent Kompany was a crucial factor,” says CAA Stellar executive chairman David Manasseh, who oversaw the deal.
Koleosho has had to settle into a new country on his own, but he has enjoyed integrating into Burnley’s dressing room and has adapted to Kompany’s high standards and demanding sessions.
Luca Koleosho has adapted quickly to Burnley’s methods (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
What makes his start to the season even more impressive is how busy his summer has been. He won the Under-19 European Championship with Italy, a tournament that did not finish until the middle of July.
After a one-week break, he was on a plane to Portugal to undergo medical tests and sign for Burnley and duly did enough in pre-season to earn a start in the season opener against Manchester City.
In attendance that evening were his parents, who only found out their son was starting through people texting them. Luca had kept it quiet.
“When we saw him come out I just started crying,” his mother Melissa tells The Athletic. “Seeing your child live his dream… I was just so proud and happy for him. Then I got nervous and stressed because I had no control over it.
“The advice we always give him every day is (to) have fun out there, play fast, play hard and enjoy every moment. That’s what he has done all his life.”
Born in Connecticut, Koleosho had a ball at his feet from the moment he could walk. The house and garden were so strewn with them that they became an obstacle course for his mother to navigate.
Melissa was a USL W-League player and passed a love for the sport to her son. His talent meant he quickly outgrew his local team, so he joined Manhattan Kickers, a youth soccer school in New York City for children aged 5-12.
It required a three-hour round trip to drive to multiple sessions throughout the week and while Melissa was uncertain, Luca was determined that this was what he wanted. That competitive streak has always been evident, even at school, when he was determined to be the first to finish a test, regardless of the result.
Speed may not necessarily have helped there, but on the pitch, it marked him out as special. It was evident in him registering his first Premier League assist in the 5-2 defeat to Tottenham.
After Burnley worked the ball from right to left, Connor Roberts played a pass in behind Pedro Porro for Koleosho.
The winger was too quick for Porro and drove to the byline…
… before pulling the ball back for Lyle Foster to score.
According to data from fbref.com ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, of players who have clocked 100 minutes or more this season, Koleosho is averaging the most take-on attempts per 90 minutes – 8.64. It is a small sample size but also a clear indication of his intent.
ADVERTISEMENT
He is direct and dynamic and while the end product is not always executed with precision, that should improve with time.
In this example against Tottenham, Koleosho received a pass and his body shape meant Porro was unsure which way he would dribble.
He ended up drifting inside and skipping past the challenge of Pape Matar Sarr to open up space centrally.
He continued his dribble as his lack of support limited his passing options and he was stopped.
Koleosho can go on the outside, too, on his weaker left foot. He used his pace to win this race against Porro…
… before using his quick feet to chop back inside.
His pass to Zeki Amdouni lacked accuracy and his team-mate was unable to control the ball, so the opportunity was lost.
Despite the small sample size available, Koleosho has also shown why he can be an asset to Kompany out of possession. According to Opta, of all players who have played a minimum of 100 minutes, before the international break, Koleosho has averaged the most possession regains in the final third – 2.76 per 90 minutes.
He was first to a loose ball in the final third against Aston Villa…
… before turning away from two closing defenders…
… and laying the ball off to Amdouni, who saw his shot blocked.
This, according to Melissa, is nothing new. “What’s amazing about watching him play right now is that it is how we’ve always seen him play,” she says. “It’s very natural and his personality is coming out on the pitch.”
There is more to his game. His former coach at Kickers, Evan Rosenthal, did not want his pace to become too dominant in his game. His decision-making needed work and sometimes he was guilty of believing the best option for the team was to try to do it all on his own.
“He just picked up elements of the game way faster than other kids,” Rosenthal told The Athletic in 2022. “It is a tough dynamic when you have a really good player because they feel they are the best option for the team when that’s not always the case. So, he was a hard one to manage.”
Key to making him a more complete player was futsal, a small-sided game usually played indoors and on smaller pitches.
Koleosho became more of a team player. He combined with team-mates more often, improved his movement off the ball, worked on his weaker left foot and developed his passing range.
At Kickers, Koleosho’s team travelled to Barcelona twice because one of the coaches was from there. After his second trip, the youngster told his parents he wanted to continue his career in Spain. He felt the style of play, featuring short, sharp passing combinations that resembled futsal, would help him develop into the player he wanted to be.
Luca Koleosho with Manhattan Kickers (Evan Rosenthal)
For a footballer, it was a reasonable suggestion, but slightly less so for a 10-year-old. Yet his mind was made up, so he turned down the easier stepping stone of a place in the New York Red Bulls academy and instead joined Catalonia-based third-division side CF Reus, who had tracked him during tournaments he played in during the Spain trips.
Moving to Spain – aged 11 – meant making sacrifices. Family and friends were far away and Melissa would get phone calls from her son in tears. The option to come home was always on the table, but Koleosho’s determination to succeed meant it stayed there.
“It was a huge sacrifice for all of us,” says Melissa. ”Being away from him and having to parent him from overseas was very difficult, but it has proven to be worth it.
“Luca is very motivated and his goal has always been that he wants to be the best player and that doesn’t come without struggle. He missed his friends and family and he’s learning a different language, but in his head, he was improving and that drove him.”
Koleosho’s development continued but, in 2019, CF Reus were expelled from the Segunda Division B due to the non-payment of player salaries and ultimately liquidated the following year.
It could have left the youngster in limbo, but Espanyol had been tracking his progress and brought him into their academy at 15. When he turned 16 he became a regular in the under-18s and earned his first professional contract, a three-year deal, in 2021.
Espanyol wanted to be patient with his development, but his performances during the 2021-22 season for the under-19 and reserve teams made him difficult to ignore. His reward was a place in the first team matchday squad on the final day of the season.
Fast forward a year and Koleosho was ready to make another big move. The key was finding the right fit and crucial to that was a coach who believed in young players and was willing to allow them to develop through playing time. His parents offered their son advice, but his decision to join Burnley was his alone.
Key to that was Kompany. “When I see what Vincent does, I wish I was still playing,” Melissa says. “He’s the type of coach you want. He brings so much to the table; exciting, young, smart and he is someone you can trust. I told Luca to absorb as much as he can from the whole coaching staff and be a sponge. Vincent is the right fit for him.”
It has taken longer to adapt to the weather, but his parents have helped him settle. His father, Olukayode, is currently in England with him and Melissa will be flying over at the start of October.
“He’s loving it,” says Melissa. “As long as Luca is playing football he can adjust to any environment. He’s getting along with his team-mates and as long as he’s playing and feeling like he’s developing and being challenged, then he’s driven to keep going along this path.”
With his club situation settled, that just leaves his international prospects. Melissa is Italian-Canadian and his father Nigerian-American, so he can represent all four nations and all are tracking his progress.
Luca Koleosho played for Italy Under-20s this month (Reinaldo Coddou H./Getty Images for DFB)
During the recent international break, he represented Italy Under-20s. He has enjoyed representing the country but other options have not been ruled out. He turned out for the United States at under-15 level and was called up to the Canada Under-20 squad in 2020.
Canada’s assistant coach Eric Tenllado is a former Espanyol coach and their recruitment attempts were strong. Despite the under-20 camp being cancelled due to Covid-19, they continued to track him and named him in the senior squad for the June 2022 internationals against Iran and Panama. Both were cancelled, so he remained uncapped. The camp did allow him to assess the setup and meet manager John Herdman and the squad.
GO DEEPER
Luca Koleosho's Canada role could progress like his career has: quickly
The benefit of representing a European team is a player usually returns earlier to clubs than CONCACAF nations, such as Canada and the United States. That can impact a manager’s selection because European players will have had a handful of training sessions and been more involved in preparations.
Given the competition in Koleosho’s position, that could be vital, especially as he is still establishing himself and only involved at youth level internationally.
“The priority right now is the Premier League and Burnley, everything else is second,” says Melissa. “Eventually he will make his decision when he’s ready.”
Koleosho, you sense, is a player who will get to where he wants to be – sooner rather than later.
Girona's Savio. Signed by City Football Group for Troyes, loaned to Girona this season. Atlético Mineiro apparently still owns 12.5% of his rights.
Last edited:
Genk's Bilal El-Khannouss
How can we not sign a player called Antman!!!!
Valencia's Javi Guerra with a good start to the season
[article]
Manchester United and Newcastle to battle for £87m Valencia youngster Javi Guerra - Paper Round
[/article]
Similar threads
-
- Locked
