Victor Osimhen… boy who will be king

[FILES] Napoli’s Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the Italian Serie A footbal match between Napoli and Bologna on October 16, 2022 at the Diego-Maradona stadium in Naples. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

It is said that the greats start showing glimpses of their future greatness from their early strides. Many of the world’s great men and women grow to reckoning through efforts and paths they took in their growing up years.

According to experts, many are blessed with various talents, but only a few grow to achieve their potential by deliberately nurturing such talents to bloom. Such is true of Victor Osimhen, who was recently named Serie A’s Player of the Month for January.

The Nigerian, who plays for Italy’s Napoli, the club made popular by the legendary Diego Amando Maradona, had previously won the Goal of the Month award for his ferocious strike in Napoli’s 2-1 win against AS Roma.

Osimhen has scored a league-topping 19 goals in Serie A this season, six clear of Lautaro Martínez and seven ahead of Ademola Lookman.

The 24-year-old’s clinical form has helped propel Napoli to the league summit and forge a staggering 18-point lead over current runners-up Inter Milan – with the club on course to lift their first Scudetto in 33 years.

Such has been his phenomenal rise in the sport that he was on Monday, March 6, named winner of the 2022 prize for foreign athlete of the year in Italy. The winner of the award was announced in a statement by the Foreign Press Association in Italy, the organisers of the prize.

According to the statement, the 24-year-old Nigerian was given the prize because of his “fundamental to Napoli’s extraordinary success, thanks to his excellent play, great power,