The career trajectory of Nigeria international winger Samuel Chukwueze hasn’t gone the way many predicted it will go when he made his first team bow at Villarreal and also the senior national team of Nigeria.
Chukwueze was seen by many as a player who has immense ability to be in the bracket of the best players in the future. But at 23, it appears that dream won’t be a reality as he hasn’t shown the improvement many expected in key areas of his game.
However that isn’t an issue to coach of Villarreal Unai Emery who has now found the best way of getting the best out of the left footed forward by playing him as a substitute. It was the case for several games last season.
In the UEFA Champions League, he started just two games out of the nine games he played. He was subbed in seven times. Save to say it was to devastating effect as he scored the goal that knocked Bayern Munich out of the tournament.
In the La Liga, he was subbed in 15 times and he played from the start 12 times out of which he was subbed off nine times. It’s clear that he is now more suited to the role of a super sub in the eyes of the coach.
The idea we were made to believe is due to his explosiveness and direct approach which works better when opponents are tired. It makes it easier for him to use his pace and dribbling abilities to create and also score goals.
That approach is expected to continue this season and it might extend to the senior national team of Nigeria with new manager Jose Peseiro now at the helm.
He currently favours the duo of Moses Simon and Ademola Lookman ahead of Chukwueze who didn’t impress against Sierra Leone at home in Abuja in Peseiro’s first competitive game as coach. He was subsequently not in the squad when they ran out 10-0 winners over Sao Tome and Principe in their second qualifiers game.
