Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku has revealed that watching Match of the Day and Chelsea legend Eden Hazard were a big inspiration for him growing up.
The £56m signing from Rennes says he has now realised his ambition of playing in England and following in the footsteps of his hero:
“Any games we [his family] couldn’t watch live, we’d always watch on Match of the Day. That’s when I really fell in love with the Premier League.”
“I enjoyed having the opportunity to see players on the pitch that you wouldn’t always get to watch very often. The show also played a big part in me deciding to join the Premier League, as it always kept me inspired growing up.”
“Eden Hazard inspired me and now I can say I’ve had the opportunity to play with him [for Belgium].”
There are plenty of similarities between Doku and Hazard
It is not a surprise whatsoever that Doku looked to the former Chelsea and Real Madrid player as inspiration. They are both Belgian and wingers who like to dribble the ball past their opponents.
Of course, the biggest difference between the two at the moment is the end product. Doku is rather inconsistent in the final third of the pitch and that is something he will want to improve upon.
Doku’s first season at City in numbers
The 21-year-old’s goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester United may have only ended up as a consolation but it was still a fine way for him personally to end his first campaign at the Etihad.
6 goals and 10 assists in 43 appearances is not a bad return when you also consider only 20 of those games were starts. It is definitely something for Doku to build on in the future.
