Super Eagles star forward has revealed how his coach believes he has everything to be the next Didier Drogba.
Nigerian international Victor Boniface has revealed that his coach at Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso, believes he has the potential to emulate Chelsea and Premier League legend Didier Drogba.
The 23-year-old forward shared details of motivational conversations with the former Real Madrid star in a recent social media video.
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Boniface, who has been a revelation since joining Leverkusen last summer, quoted Alonso as saying;
"Boni, you have technique, you have the body, you have the size, you have everything, I want you to give me more."
The coach has been encouraging Boniface to study Drogba's playing style, seeing similarities between the two powerful forwards.
The Nigerian striker elaborated on Alonso's guidance: "Every time he says to me try to watch Drogba because I think you can learn a lot from him. To be honest, the last game (4-3 win against Wolfsburg) before I came on (to score the winner) he said to me, 'Boni, I want you because I want you to be strong, I want you to be like Drogba.'"
Boniface's impact at Leverkusen has been significant, contributing to the club's historic domestic double and their run to the Europa League final.
His performances have not only caught the eye of fans but have clearly impressed his World Cup-winning coach.
The forward praised Alonso's motivational skills and support: "He tries to bring out the best in you, he is that guy you need, a person like him to support you. When your coach is behind you, you want to give 100%."
Alonso's comparison of Boniface to Drogba is high praise indeed. If Boniface can develop even some of Drogba's traits - his strength, aerial ability, and big-game mentality - he could become a truly world-class striker.
With Leverkusen's strong start to this season, Boniface will have plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents on both domestic and European stages.
The club's next fixture, a Bundesliga clash against Bayern Munich on Saturday, will provide another platform for Boniface to demonstrate his growing abilities and potentially edge closer to fulfilling Alonso's lofty comparison.