Ghanaian defender, Mohammed Salisu is having an incredible season for Southampton in the English Premier League.
The center back was ranked 6th best defender in the 2021/2022 EPL by Mirror in October 2021. He joined Southampton from Spanish La Liga side Read Valladolid in the summer of 2020 and is currently having his second season with the Saint Mary's outfit.
Salisu has played 23 out of the clubs 24 premier league matches this season, coming on as a substitute once.
The Ghanaian is steadily building his niche of becoming one of the best center backs in Europe.
Here are five things to know about the Ghanaian center back
His Grandfather played for Black Stars and won the AFCON
Salisu, born on April 17, 1999 was named after his grandfather, a former Asante Kotoko player, Mohammed Salisu.
His grandfather was a member of the 1963 squad that won Ghana the first-ever Africa Cup of Nations.
However, the 22-years-old is yet follow suit by wearing the national colours as he has said he wants to focus on club football in his early career.
Ditched school for Football
While growing up, Salisu experienced single parenting as he lived with his mother during his time in Ghana. His father left the shores of Ghana when he was young with the responsibilities falling on the mother to take care of Salisu and his two other brothers.
Salisu and his where parallel regarding him playing football as his mother wanted him to focus on his education.
His immense focus on football led to the mother destroying his boots but Salisu never gave up as he got signed to African Talents Football Academy in 2017. As a results, he and his mum went on the same page to invest in his career.
Played trials with no boots
Salisu's desperation to become a professional footballer led him to turn up for a trail without boots.
He was handed a boot by a goalkeeper who was not playing. Salisu went on to give a good account of himself as he was picked and joined the Africa Talents Football Academy.
He subsequently earned a contract abroad, joining Real Valladolid youth team six months later.
Africa Talent Football Academy chief, Fran Castaño narrated how Mohammed Salisu was discovered.
"My academy is in Accra and they told us that there was a group of players in Kumasi that could be interesting. We made a five-hour trip and ten minutes from see him we knew since he was a different player," he said as quoted by footballghana.com.
"We saw it almost by chance because he was late when we were leaving. He appeared without boots, but we soon saw that he was different. He has an impressive physique, he is technically good. He plays as central and left-handed, which is something we value very much. Then we talked with him and his family and discovered that he was the type of person we want," he added.
Idolises Sergio Ramos and Samuel Umtiti
Salisu during his time at Valladolid revealed in an interview that he dreams of becoming a great defender like Spanish great Sergio Ramos and and Barcelona defender, Samuel Umtiti.
“My goal in football is to become a best defender like Sergio Ramos, Samuel Umtiti, this kind of defenders,” he told Real Valladolid in a Youtube interview.
Fran Castaño has tipped Salsu to become the best on the continent.
“I think he will be one of the best centre backs of African football and if everything goes well he could play in one of the 10 best teams in the world,” he said.
Author: Emmanuel Enin
Southampton defender, Mohammed Salisu