Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka had kind words for Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as showing his affection for his idol.
At only 22 years old, Bukayo Saka is still in the process of discovering his endless potential. Arsenal’s number 7 is making steady progress on that journey, having surpassed 200 matches for the London team and has 50 goals at the club level. Saka is also a mainstay of the England team with 32 appearances in the Three Lions shirt and rarely misses matches due to injury.
Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta has set a requirement for his student to be able to play 60-70 matches a season, similar to what Cristiano Ronaldo has done in recent seasons. via. In an interview with The Mirror, the striker shared about the process of realizing that.
“The coach told me that high-class players can do that. So if I want to reach the next level, I have to be ready to play as many games as possible and help my team win.”
He also talked more about his idol, who is 39 years old playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League:
“He is the perfect example of perseverance. He simply has the explosiveness and ability of a goal-scoring machine. I think Cristiano has inspired me as well as young people to follow the path he went through. But at the same time, I also want to express my own personality and do what is required to help Arsenal achieve success.
Saka has a habit of proactively receiving contact from the opponent and this could cause the English striker to be replaced. But, it also proves that Emirates Stadium’s number 7 is very good with the ball at his feet and has the ability to attract defenders onto the ball. He also feels like he is becoming more aggressive than when he first stepped into the first team. This striker shared:
“I feel like physically I’m stronger compared to myself four or five years ago. With tackling, I have experience in knowing which situations I should face and which situations I should jump to avoid, avoiding tackles that can lead to injury. I personally feel that I am smarter and physically stronger than in the past.”
Saka and his teammates will face the ultimate challenge this weekend when their opponent will be Tottenham Hotspur (tonight at 8 p.m., April 28). The London Derby promises to be extremely tense as the Gunners are the only name that can stop Man City’s consecutive championship streak. With the top position in the table and one point ahead of their opponents, Arteta’s army will be determined to win to put pressure on the defending champion of the tournament.
