Galatasaray midfielder, Aleksey Batrakov, has praised Victor Osimhen’s fierce desire to win, describing the Nigerian striker as a perfectionist who puts team success above individual recognition.
Batrakov recalled his first training session with the Turkish champions, when a mini-tournament among the players gave him a glimpse of Osimhen’s competitive nature.
“Osimhen is a perfectionist. Top-notch in every sense. It was my first training session; we held a mini tournament among ourselves, and that’s where I understood what kind of perfectionist he is, how he always wants to win,” Batrakov said.
The Russian midfielder also highlighted Osimhen’s unselfishness during a penalty shootout after the game ended 2-2.
“He will do anything to win. The match ended 2-2 and went to penalties. Osimhen gave me the final penalty; he said, ‘you take it.’ I scored, and he came running to me from the other end of the field to join in my celebration. It was an incredible gesture,” he added.
Osimhen’s recent performances had attracted criticism from Turkish media and pundits after he went three consecutive matches without scoring against Kasımpaşa, Barcelona and Gençlerbirliği following his return from a groin injury.
However, the 27-year-old dismissed suggestions that the criticism had affected his confidence, insisting that nobody could dictate how he played.
The Super Eagles striker responded on October 21, scoring in Galatasaray’s 4-2 Champions League win away to Lille to end his goal drought in the competition. The strike took his tally in European competitions for the Turkish club to 14.
The striker will have another chance to showcase his competitive spirit when Galatasaray face fierce rivals Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Süper Lig on Monday.
Join the conversation
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.