No story soots the ears more than a tale of grass to grace, a narrative of growth and continuous comebacks. Such is the story of Victor James Osimhen, popularly known as Victor Osimhen.
WHO IS VICTOR OSIMHEN?
Victor Osimhen is a Nigerian professional footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Napoli and the Nigerian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the most promising talents in African football and has already achieved a great deal of success in his career at a young age.
BACKGROUND
On the 29th of December 1998, in the city of Lagos, a boy who would go on to become the most expensive footballer from the continent of Africa was born.
Hawking on the busy streets of Lagos was a major source of income for his household just like other low-income families.
He went from assisting his mother, who sold sachet water, to navigating the heavy traffic on his own after his mother’s death.
THE RISE OF THE SUPER STRIKER
Like most young lads, Victor grew up loving the round leather game. He and his mates visited the community football field to bask in the skills of the community stars, of which Victor’s brother, Andrew was one.
From watching, Osimhen grew to play, and it didn’t take long for his elder brother, Andrew, to realize that Victor was more talented. So he gave up sports and his education to support his brother, who had a better chance of succeeding.
As the saying goes, “A light can’t be hidden for long” Victor was soon scouted by some local scouts who took him to his first trial in Ultimate Strikers, which he passed with flying colours.
Victor didn’t rest on his laurels as he continued to churn out man-of-the-match performances, and he was then invited to the camp of the Golden Eaglets, the Nigerian U-17 side.
Victor helped the Eaglets qualify for the U-17 World Cup in Chile, which was held in 2015. He announced himself on the big stage by scoring a brace in his debut in the World Cup, winning the hearts of millions.
Victor went on to win the coveted trophy and was also the highest goal scorer in the competition.
In May 2017, he made his debut for VFB Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga, but things quickly went sour for the Nigerian as a shoulder injury made him go under the knife.
After his recovery from injury, his goal-scoring form, unfortunately, didn’t return. He was not only unable to claim a spot in the team, but he was also unmarketable.
The once lion in front of the goal was now a chicken as he failed two trials due to health issues.
Like every Nigerian, Victor had a never-die spirit and found his form again after two long seasons in the wilderness.
Belgium gave him another clean slate to write his history, and like a hungry lion, he grabbed it with two hands.
A wonderful backheel goal on the 22nd of September 2017 meant Victor would score his first goal as a professional footballer after over two years of making his debut.
That season went on to be the best the masked man has had so far as he scored 20 goals in 36 matches for the club, forcing the Belgian side Charleroi to acquire his services fully.
In July 2019, Osimhen made another move, this time to one of Europe’s elite leagues, the French Ligue A.
Lille OSC was the club, and France was the stage where he re-announced himself to the world.
With 18 goals in 38 matches, Osimhen soon caught the eye of another European elite club, SSC Napoli, and he became the most expensive African footballer after moving from Lille to Napoli in 2020.
VICTOR OSIMHEN AWARDS AND TROPHIES
• Highest goal scorer U-17 world cup (2015)
• U-17 world cup winner (2015)
• U-23 AFCON winner (2015)
• Serie A best young player (2022)
• Serie A league winner (2021/2022)
CONCLUSION
Victor Osimhen went from an unwanted footballer to a beloved footballer, with fully packed stadiums across Europe chanting his name and wearing his costume.
His story is a testament to the power of hard work, determination, and resilience. Despite facing several challenges in his career, he refused to give up and continued to work hard to achieve his dreams. His talent and dedication have made him one of the most promising talents in African football.
