Joel Asoro exploded in the European match, where Sepsi lost by four goals in two matches.
For Sportbladet, the striker talks about turning around after a difficult time.
– This is the best thing that happened in my career. The way Djurgården took me when I was at my worst, says the 23-year-old, I will always appreciate it.
“I’ve been nervous for over a year. If you don’t have self-confidence, nothing works” Joel Asoro In an interview with Sportbladet in November.
The striker secured a massive loan spell at Genoa behind him when Djurgarden bought him from Swansea for around seven million crowns in February 2021.
Expectations were high, but the match did not subside and there were only three goals for Soro, who himself was far from satisfied with his first season at Djurgården.
At least not on the field.
– it was hard. I was stubborn, unable to do anything. If compared with this year, people think “what happened?”. I just landed after all the years I lost. I’ve been in the fridge and now it’s starting to thaw a little.
“Best thing that happened in my career”
In recent games, Asoro has been far from cool. In two qualifying matches against Romanian Sepsi in the Europa League, there were four goals and after 3-1 at Tele Arena the last time, local fans hailed him with a new chant of “Joel Asuro – do what he wants”.
– I enjoy. I enjoy. This is the best thing that has happened in my career. The way Djurgården took me when I was at my worst I will always be grateful for that. No matter what happens in the future. The first year I will always say has been my best year. As much as I struggled and been patient… I love that people have expectations of me and this year I felt like I had to show people.
So your best year?
– Yes, one hundred percent. Not wise to football, but as a person. I received a lot of criticism and I didn’t feel well and my body wasn’t feeling well. Then I felt like in 2022 now I don’t care what people say, I’m going to drive. It took time and it was hard, but now we’re sitting here today and smiling. It was all worth it.
Asuro is very grateful to Djurgarden’s sports director, Boss Anderson, who believed in him when he did not believe in himself after difficult years abroad, which ended with Italy closed to Corona.
– Boss was so hard that you don’t understand. It bothers me every day. He’s the one who pushed me and watched me since I was 15 and asked me to act. But now we sit and laugh.
In what way was it annoying?
– He said “Come now, you can’t play that way. You can’t do that,” and I thought, “Calm.” But we joke a lot. He was like a little dad actually.
“I got to 60 percent”
When athletes succeed we like to write in the evening papers about “the secret to success.” In the case of Asoro, it comes down to being richer in pre-season (“The hardest previous season I’ve had in my life. I didn’t run much, he’s quite sick”), 3-4 kilograms poorer (“When I lived in Holland and Italy, I ate a lot.” of fast food. Now I eat better, but the same”) and that all the pieces in life have snapped into place.
If you are happy outside, you are happy on the field. Perhaps this is the most important thing for me.
What makes you feel good?
– I am generally happy and feeling good. But the family, of course. I became a father and there is a lot going on. Besides, the most important thing is that mom is at home. She increases a bit because she was always the one taking care of me and had the role of mother and father. It’s good to have her support.
Despite the fact that the balls went inside and Asuro has improved better during the season, he and coach Thomas Lagerlöf think there is more to learn.
– It’s had an upward curve shape for a long time, but there’s still a very large percentage of its amplitude that it doesn’t use. It’s getting more and more every week, but he has a lot more to come out of. Above all else when it comes to participating and not experiencing dead moments in matches, says Lagerlöf.
Asuro agrees.
– I myself know that is so. It doesn’t all come out at once. I don’t expect more tomorrow or in two weeks, but with patience more will come. What do I mean by that? I just know that. But I’ll be more direct at my game and “land” the opponents, a little more like that.
How many percent do you leave for the cap?
– I think I hit 60 percent, so there’s still a long way to go. It’s little things. Now suddenly I scored a header. Lots of people know I can jump really high, but vertical goals weren’t my thing. But it’s something I want to do.
“Like my older brother”
Asuro has not only scored with the headers, this season there have also been some defenders with the left.
Something encouraged by his colleagues, especially Magnus Ericsson.
– He’s like my older brother. Mange has known everything, he is in control of everything and has been trying to get rid of it since last year, but it has not worked. Now it works. It’s complete if anyone.
How did it help you?
– It was bothering me the whole time. He keeps saying “Drive, stop thinking.” At the beginning of the season I started to score some left-footed goals in training and people just “Was I left-handed all the time?”. ‘No,’ I said, ‘I kind of noticed that lately’. Then they asked me to shoot. Against sepsis, I thought “why not” and then narrowed. Then it narrowed again. It’s nice to have some options and it can diversify your game.
That’s why “Mange” was so happy when I scored that goal then?
– Yes Yes. That’s why everyone started hitting me and saying “What did we say?” I knew the left foot isn’t bad, but I can’t use it that way.
When did you feel like things were starting to turn around for you?
– Even after the Norrkoping match, I felt like I was starting to get a feeling. The next match I scored again, with my left. Then stop a little. What changed everything was the Malmö game. I came late, it was 3-0, I settled into my position and hit the ball and sat down on the first pass. After that, things started flowing and things went the way I wanted them to.
That’s when you started to feel like doing what you wanted?
If that’s what people think, so be it. I just feel. I don “t think so. But it was crazy to get that rhyme. This has never happened in my life 20,000 fans sitting and chanting your name. I just thought “Wow, what’s going on here?”. I don’t even know what to say. It was amazing.
Self-confidence is a little better now than it was a few months ago?
– It is clear that I have self-confidence now. But I think it’s mostly about my self-esteem. I feel good about myself, which is why I trust myself more. Confidence is always good, but self-esteem comes first.