England-born Arsenal striker, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, has revealed his connection to Nigeria and his adoration for Thierry and Ronaldinho as a young footballer, Soccernet.ng reports.
Born in 2003, the 20-year-old joined the Arsenal youth setup when he was eight years old and has grown through the ranks at the Hale End Academy.
Nathan is yet to make an appearance for the first team as they’re stacked up-front with Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz as options who can fill the number nine slot if need be.
He has however gone on loan to Accrington Stanley and is currently at EFL League One side, Cheltenham, where he has scored three goals in 987 minutes of football.
Speaking on the Arsenal Programme, the fleet-footed striker shared an insight into how he grew up watching his Father play football and how it shaped his love for the game.
“I grew up in Walthamstow, East London and I got into football from watching my dad, Taju Oyedeji, play. When my dad was young, he had a scholarship at Crystal Palace but although he didn’t get a professional deal he played at the lower league levels and I used to go and watch him regularly. On top of that, I would also go into the park and join in with people there and I just fell in love with the game. My family background is that my dad is Nigerian and my mother is from St Vincent. The Butler is from my mum’s side and Oyedeji is from my dad’s side,” the striker said in quotes revealed by Arsenal’s official website.
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji revealed how his Father helped him tailor his footballing style to that of his role models.
“My dad always encouraged me to watch clips of Thierry Henry to understand the art of playing in attack but I also watched the likes of Ronaldinho too, just mesmerized by their ability. I tuned in to all the football shows like Premier League Years, and Match of the Day. I was football-mad! My dad told me when we drove past that I’d play for Arsenal and it happened! By the time I was eight, I had officially joined the club,” he added.
A pacey forward who can operate both centrally and from wide areas, Nathan is yet to represent any country at any level, opening the floor to a Super Eagles switch.
