Soon after months of negotiating, Southampton have their guy in Mohammed Salisu. The Ghanaian defender joined the Saints in a documented £10.9million offer from True Valladolid.
The 21-calendar year-aged penned a four 12 months-deal which will see him continue to be at the St. Mary’s until at minimum 2024.
In just 3 several years of skilled football, Salisu has realised his dream of actively playing in the Leading League.
Nonetheless, the journey has not been a straightforward a single, right here are five factors you most likely didn’t know about Mohammed Salisu.
Salisu grew up with just his mother
At all around age 8, Salisu’s father travelled to a different place and his mum experienced to take care of him. Regardless of her mum dropping her occupation, the family (three boys and the mother) even now had food items to take in but there was no space for luxuries such as soccer boots.
Salisu’s did not want him to play soccer and preferred that he went to school. As envisioned, he will always play soccer instead of likely to college. A single day, his mum uncovered out and wrecked his boots since she wanted him to get university seriously.
After Salisu joined the African Talent Soccer Academy, her mum started out to guidance her and currently she is happy of him.
He played for Barcelona when he was young
Indeed, Mohammed Salisu played for Barcelona whilst expanding up as a footballer. However, it’s not the Barcelona you are imagining of. He performed Kumasi Barcelona Toddlers Soccer Club in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Kumasi Barcelona Infants are now referred to as Corners Toddlers and they are just one of the ideal youth golf equipment in Kumasi with u12,u15 and u17 groups.
In 2013, Salisu had the option to be part of West African Soccer Academy (WAFA). He skilled with them following two yrs and regrettably experienced to leave due to personalized causes.
He performed for no club for a yr whilst at home with his mum right up until he was contacted by an outdated supervisor that there was a opportunity to participate in in Spain. Pursuing the information, Salisu later joined the African Expertise Soccer Academy primarily based in Nsawam the place he was determined by scouts from Spain.
No boots? No trouble
On the times of the trials, Salisu arrived late and experienced no boots. At some point, he was offered a pair of boots by a goalkeeper who wasn’t taking part in at the time. The boot was even bigger than Salisu’s foot but he had no preference.
He amazed all through the trials and his loved ones was consulted immediately after. In April 2017, he returned to Accra to the African Talent Football Academy dependent and attained himself a move to Actual Valladolid six months afterwards.
Settling in Spain, a headache
The Ghanaian defender landed in Spain on October 4th and experienced a grotesque encounter battling the chilly weather conditions. The unexpected transform in the temperature was unbearable as Salisu had to practice on the 1st working day.
“My to start with instruction session [with Real Valladolid B] was pretty tough mainly because the temperature and atmosphere was quite various from Ghana,” Salisu explained to Authentic Valladolid Television.
With time, he acquired utilized to weather conditions and discovered how to talk the language which helped him settle really perfectly in Spain.
Samuel Umtiti is his idol
The 21-12 months-old cites Barcelona middle back Samuel Umtiti as his idol expanding up. Standing at 6 ft 3 inches tall, Salisu cuts an daunting figure at the back again, quite equivalent to that of Samuel Umtiti.
Last year, Salisu was dubbed ‘the wall of Valladolid’ by El Pais. Inspite of currently being extremely actual physical, his most important attraction point is technological characteristics – the explanation he was noticed by Spanish scouts.
Fran Castaño, Salisu’s coach again in Accra explained: “I feel he will be a single of the finest centre backs of African soccer and if every thing goes nicely he could engage in in a person of the 10 most effective teams in the earth.”
Perfectly, Salisu is now playing in arguably the very best league in the world, consequently isn’t so significantly from the very best 10 teams in the entire world.
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