K.R.C Genk defender, Wilfred Ndidi, is currently one of Africa’s most sought after youngsters in Europe.
Premier League duo, Tottenham Hotspur and Watford, alongside German giants, Borussia Dortmund and Hamburg, lead the large pool of top clubs currently jostling for the signature of the Nigerian.
Interestingly, Ndidi who cost the Belgian side a meagre €200,000 when he joined from Nathaniel Boys in January 2015, is now valued at about 10 times that amount.
But why is the teenager who represented Nigeria at both the U17 and U20 levels now attracting such massive interests?
Here we highlight five of those reasons.
- He’s 19
One trend synonymous with European clubs is their willingness to invest bountifully in youth – aimed at yielding dividends in the near future. At 19, Wilfred Ndidi fits that bill especially with his level of maturity and experience which outweighs his age.
- He’s versatile
Ndidi is well known for his versatility which allows him to conveniently slot into several key positions. He started off as a central defender during his early days at Genk. But his wide range of passing and shooting ability meant he had to be redeployed as a defensive midfielder and central midfielder much later.
- Scores beautiful goals too
Apart from his flexibility, Ndidi is becoming synonymous with world class goals. His ferocious volley against Club Brugge in the Belgian playoff, adjudged to be travelling at over 111 km/hr, was named the league’s Goal of the Season. He went on to score two more goals before the end of the playoffs including another volley from outside the box against Anderlecht.
- He’s been capped at international level
Ndidi has already been capped thrice by the Nigeria national football team. He earned his first call-up to the Super Eagles in October 2015 – making his debut in the friendly game against DR Congo. His second cap came in the 3-0 win against Cameroon three days later while his third was in another friendly against Luxembourg in May.
- Outstanding last season
For a player who was only promoted to the first team last season, all these accomplishments were just too spectacular. Thirty games in his first season is simply no fluke. Little wonder he was named third best young player in the Belgian league for the 2015/2016 season.
