Salis Abdul Samed has revealed that he was told to watch how Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets plays by his coach in the academy.
Samed praised his academy coach and added that he told him to watch Busquets carefully and try to do what he does on the pitch.
Former Spanish international Sergio Busquets is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in football. Samed joined JMG Academy which was set up by former French international football player Jean-Marc Guillou.
JMG Academy has eight academies throughout the world. Ivory Coast from 1994; Madagascar from 2000; Thailand from 2005; Mali from 2006; Algeria (in partnership with Paradou AC), Egypt, and Vietnam from 2007; Ghana from 2008.
“When I entered the academy, I was 12-13 years old, I just saw people playing on TV, so for me it was to play football, not to progress and have a career. I dribbled a lot, I took the ball and I walked, I didn’t defend…Coach Babytho helped me improve a lot in my game. One day, he showed me Busquets (Barça’s Spanish international defensive midfielder),”
“For me he was zero, I did not see what he was doing. He said to me “sit down and watch how he plays, two touches, he orients well”. After training, he told me ” two mandatory touches, you control you give”.It started there. The first class had traveled to Belgium to try out. I was in the second. At 16, I understood that we had come here to work, to go to Europe, to become a pro and that’s what I had to do to help my mother. I became more serious,”
“When my father died, I had seen my mother, who was then pregnant, crying, I had to do something to succeed. I was very young, ten years old, nine years old… I stopped school around 11 years old, I wanted to work. First I hung out in the street, I played football, I slept with friends… Then I told myself no, I had to succeed to help my mother. There were academies in Ghana, like Feyenoord or Red Bull, which came to get young people from my neighborhood, Madina, in Accra. They gave them a little money, they were well dressed, in uniform, clean more than us. When JMG arrived, I wanted to go, my mother told me “then go”. Now she is very happy, I bought her a little house. If she’s fine, I’m fine. I give her everything she needs, my brothers too. I’m proud today, thank god, if I’m hungry, I know I can afford to eat,”
