Former Watford striker Troy Deeney has compared Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen to Chelsea icon Didier Drogba, highlighting their similar ability to trouble opposition defenders.
The Nigerian international had netted nine goals in domestic competitions before Galatasaray hosted Stuttgart in the UEFA Champions League at Rams Park.
Osimhen has established himself as a difficult opponent for defenders, thanks to his physical presence, pace, powerful movement and impressive work rate.
Although the 2023 African Footballer of the Year failed to find the net against Stuttgart, Galatasaray claimed a comfortable 2-0 victory on Tuesday evening, with Aleksey Batrakov scoring twice in the first half.
Speaking before the encounter, Deeney praised Osimhen’s overall contribution to the team, insisting that his value goes beyond scoring goals.
When asked what impresses him most about the Galatasaray forward, the former Watford captain told CBS Sports Golazo:
“People will look at the goals. I look at his work rate. The ability to work that whole backline on his own.
“He plays one upfront, very similar to Didier Drogba in the fact that he occupies the whole backline, but what he also gives is that he runs in behind.
“He gives you that threat to show, link-up play is really strong, also willing to run the channels on his own.”
Deeney’s assessment highlights the similarities between Osimhen and Drogba, particularly their physical strength, movement, ability to stretch defences and willingness to create problems for opposing defenders.