My plans for the future - Osimhen

Victor Osimhen reveals he still ‘gets goosebumps’ when scoring for Napoli, why he keeps wearing that protective mask, Ballon d’Or dreams and choosing between MLS and Saudi Arabia.

The Nigeria international spoke to Mario Balotelli’s Twitch Channel, Vox to Box on TV Play.

He is currently out of action for at least a month after sustaining an injury on international duty with Nigeria.

Osimhen refused to comment when asked who deserves the Ballon d’Or between Lionel Messi and Erling Braut Haaland, but was asked if he had this trophy as an ambition.

“If one day I could get closer to win it, that would be more than a dream comes true for me. Just playing at this level is already amazing for me. If it comes, it comes,” replied the striker.

When Osimhen first arrived at Napoli, he asked for advice from Kalidou Koulibaly.

“When I first came, I was chatting with Koulibaly, he told me about the city, the people and the stadiums. In my previous clubs, they don’t announce the names of the scorers, so it’s a whole different feeling to have 60,000 people screaming your name.

“When I scored my first goal, it was against Atalanta and during COVID, so not many fans there, but I still got goosebumps. I get the same feeling now, it goes through my veins, as it is really special.”

The protective mask was made for him after he sustained multiple facial fractures in an accidental collision when Napoli played Inter.

Despite no longer technically needing it, this has now become his trademark.

“I am so used to wearing it now that I think I always will. I risked a lot that time, now it has become a sort of trademark for me.”

Osimhen is now in his third Serie A season, having been crowned Capocannoniere last term, so who does he admire?

“Ciro Immobile is really strong, I really like the way he plays and he is a leader of his team. I respect him a great deal, he has this deadly instinct in front of goal. I just started, he is a legend.”

Osimhen’s main competition for the Capocannoniere title this time around would seem to be Inter captain Lautaro Martinez.

“When I was up against Rafael Leao, he really impressed me, there are few with talent like him. It is great for Serie A to have players like this. Lautaro Martinez is a reference point for Inter, challenging him at a distance pushes me to keep doing better.

“When I was young, I tried to model myself on Didier Drogba. I watched many of his videos and tried to learn as much as possible.”

Luciano Spalletti took Napoli to the Scudetto, but then left to take over the job of Italy coach.

“He transformed my way of playing, he is a genius. He asks a lot of his players, but he gives it back too. Italy are on the right track with him.”

There were reports that the Saudi Pro League were prepared to make an eye-watering offer to sign Osimhen this summer, but he was not interested and it seems that will continue to be the case. He was asked where he would choose between MLS and Saudi Arabia.

“I wouldn’t know now, but if they were the same conditions, I would go in America.”