Adebayo Adeleye, the goalkeeper for Hapoel Jerusalem, has stated that he enjoys being compared to Andre Onana, the goalkeeper for Inter Milan. He also stated that he hopes to emulate some of Onana’s characteristics, but he was quick to add that former Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama continues to be his idol.
The 23-year-old’s appearance as well as his playing style have led to comparisons between him and Onana, who is a summer target for Manchester United.
“It’s good to be compared with one of the best goalkeepers in the world at the moment,” Adeleye stated. “It’s good to be compared with one of the best.”
“Both of us are Africans, and we are accomplishing great things over there. We share a number of attractive characteristics, including the fact that he wears dreadlocks and I have a hairstyle that is visually comparable to his.
“But I’m not like other people at all. We compete in a different league than they do. Because he is one of the best in the world at what he does, I work hard at my job and strive to improve my knowledge in order to compete with him.
“He (Onana) is a ball-playing goalkeeper who is so confident on the ball with his feet, and I really like to watch him a lot.”It is an honor to be compared to a top goalkeeper in the world like him, but Enyeama has always been my inspiration, so watching him play is something I look forward to doing. They each possess unique characteristics, some of which I attempt to emulate in competitive settings.
“That is now required of goalkeepers in modern football, which means that players need to adjust to the new playing style. It is beneficial to me and I find that it assists me a great deal. As a result, I am satisfied with that playing style. In Israel, I engage in that activity more frequently.
The former United States Under-20 star enjoyed making his debut for the Eagles in their 3-2 victory over Sierra Leone a month ago, but he lamented the fact that he was unable to keep a clean sheet in the match.
Adeleye’s response when asked how he felt after conceding twice on his debut was, “At least I made a winning start with the team regardless,” despite the fact that he did so.
“It’s never fun to let in goals, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that our team prevailed, and that means we’ll be competing in the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast next year.”
Despite the fact that he let in 20 goals during the previous season, Adeleye was recognized as the best goalkeeper in the Israeli premier league. He had eight clean sheets in 20 games played.
