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Football player and student of Ogun State University of Technology, Favor Onyinye Philip has revealed that his role model in the round leather game is England Chelsea star, Reece James, reports Sports247.
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The former student of Will-B Excellence Secondary School in Abogunloko area of Ikotun, Lagos, who is affectionately called “Generous” by his friends, added that watching James play helps him improve as a right-back.
He added: “I am a disciplined and energetic right-back. I am known for my great defensive awareness, timely tackles, overlapping runs, accurate crossing and ability to support both defense and attack effectively.
“My role model is Reece James of Chelsea FC. I admire his strength, composure, leadership qualities, defensive skills, intelligence and attacking contribution from the right-back position. I constantly study and model my game after his style.”
The silver medalist with the Alimosho Local Government Selected Team at the 2022 NAPPSS Sports Festival at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, added that his biggest ambition is to become a professional footballer in Europe, hence his determination while playing.
Favor also revealed that he has been able to combine his studies with regular training sessions at Adebayo Samba Boys FC, which he joined after learning the basics at Binero Football Academy.
He added: “My biggest dream is to become a professional footballer and compete at the highest level. I want to represent Nigeria internationally and inspire young players in my community.
“However, my biggest challenge is how to gain greater exposure, gain career opportunities and have consistent access to high-level competition.
“I hope to overcome those challenges through discipline, hard and consistent training, further personal development, tactical improvement and maintaining a strong mentality.
“I think once I do all that, continue to stay dedicated to my training and fully focus on my development, I will have open doors in football.”
The light-skinned and soft-spoken boy cited his father and his entire family as his biggest motivators, mentors and helpers in football matters, as they always encourage him with comforting words, monetary assistance and material support.
“My biggest mentor is Philip Zion, along with my family and friends. They all continually support, guide and motivate me in my football journey. It is thanks to their support that I have been able to get here.
“My next goal this year is to participate in important competitions and win many tournaments. I want to perform tests, improve my overall performance and attract the attention of talent scouts and academies.
“I also thank the seniors in my community for their continued support and encouragement. Their belief in young talent motivates us to work harder and represent our community with pride and excellence.”
He concluded by suggesting stronger political direction from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), as a way to further encourage young players to not only come out of the shadows but also excel and become stars of the future.
“I respectfully encourage continued investment in the development of grassroots football and the creation of more transparent opportunities for young talent to be discovered and nurtured,” Favor posited.
