Sampdoria's Yoshida: Gabbiadini is our Goku, Thorsby is our Pikachu!

Sampdoria star Maya Yoshida has given words of encouragement to fellow team-mates Manolo Gabbiadini and Morten Thorsby.

Thorsby has been a key player for the Italian side this season, taking in 27 appearances across all competitions.

Gabbiadini was equally crucial to Sampdoria before he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture that will see him out of action until the summer.

According to Calcio Mercato, Yoshida said: "Gabbiadini is our Goku: he comes back stronger after every injury!

"Meanwhile, Thorsby is Pikachu because he cares about environment and therefore he likes electric energy."

This isn't the first time aforementioned animated characters have appeared in relation to football, with two players already adopting their monikers as nicknames.

Spanish midfielder Francisco Javier Martín Medina, formerly of Granada and Cadiz, already earned himself the nickname 'Goku', though he is less well known than Sampdoria's stars.

Elsewhere, Brazilian footballer Glaybson Yago Souza Lisboa got his nickname 'Yago Pikachu' thanks to his relatively short height and electric pace, so not quite the same reason as the environmentally conscious Thorsby.