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Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has become a household name in Nigeria after his special goal against South Africa but his ex-coach at Manchester City won't be surprised.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has announced himself on the international stage with a debut goal for Nigeria's Super Eagles against South Africa in their 2026 World Cup qualifier.
But his heroics will come as no surprise to those who knew him from his youth days at Premier League champions Manchester City.
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Man City coach speaks on Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Ben Wilkinson, Dele-Bashiru's former coach at City's academy, provided a glowing insight into the talented midfielder's abilities and potential before he departed from the club in 2020.
"Athletically, he is as good as anything I have ever seen in terms of his power. In one-vs-one duels, I have yet to see anyone touch him," Wilkinson raved about the Nigerian international according to YorkshireLive.
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"Fisayo is very dynamic and very strong. At his best, he is a very, very good player. He's a box-to-box midfielder. He can get forward and get himself a goal but he is also more than capable of doing the defensive job."
Wilkinson pointed to Dele-Bashiru's performance against Chelsea's youth team in 2019 as an example of his immense potential when playing at his peak level.
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"We played Chelsea last year and he was the best player on the pitch by a mile but he didn't get back to that level for a while," the coach revealed.
"It is just about trying to sustain that level day in, day out and that is the challenge all young players have."
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While praising Dele-Bashiru's physical gifts, Wilkinson also highlighted the need for the youngster to find greater consistency.
"Fisayo has got loads of potential. If he can play like he did that night at Chelsea, then no one will be able to touch him. It is now down to him to convert the bags of potential he has into becoming a proper professional and being consistent every week."
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After starring for Turkish club Hatayspor with 8 goals and 3 assists last season and Nigeria against South Africa, Dele-Bashiru took his first step towards fulfilling that potential.
His former City coach's glowing endorsement suggests there could be even more to come from the gifted 23-year-old, who is now in Super Eagles star
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