Kenneth Omeruo may not have featured for Chelsea’s first team in a competitive fixture, but he is highly regarded by manager Jose Mourinho and has been a key member of the Nigeria senior national team since 2013.
Still only 21, Omeruo still has his future ahead of him and will be hoping to make an impression with his latest loan to move to Kasimpasa of Turkey.
Quick Facts
Name: Kenneth Ihechi Omeruo
Age: 21
Height: 1.85m
Position: Central Defense/Right Back
Club: Kasimpasa (on loan from Chelsea)
Omeruo is by every standard your modern day defender. Good with the ball at his feet and can play out of the defense.
Although he suffers an occasional loss of concentration which he needs to improve upon, but at only 21, and having already played at the World Cup and won the Africa Cup of Nations, you would bet he will overcome such shortcomings.
Key Strengths
Likened to Barcelona’s Gerard Pique, Omeruo is a modern defender that likes to play the ball out of the back and is very comfortable with the ball at his feet. Standing at 1.85m tall means he is very comfortable in the air.
Omeruo is also versatile and can play at right-back and in the holding midfield position.
During the 2012/13 season, on loan at Dutch club, Ado Den Haag, he played 35 games in all competitions, of which 32 were at right-back, and had 2 assists in the process.
He played occasionally in the holding midfield position during his youth days with the Nigerian youth teams.
Stats
Omeruo has racked up over 6,000 minutes of football since moving to Europe, and has scored 2 goals while having 3 assists in the process.
His most successful spell in Europe has been with Ado Den Haag in Holland, where he was a super regular and earned his first invitation to the Super Eagles.
He has also made 26 appearances for the Nigeria national team, playing over 2,000 minutes of football in the process.[post_ad]
Interested Clubs
The 21-year old was linked with a return to Middlesbrough after Chelsea made it clear he will need another season on loan, but reportedly turned down the offer after new Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh announced that players in the English championship will not earn call-ups to the Super Eagles.
He was also linked with a move to French side, Lille, but eventually settled for Kasimpasa in Turkey.
Quote
“I want to play at Stamford Bridge and I want the fans to watch me every week but if the club wants me to go out on loan, I will choose the best option so I can get more experience,”he told News24 last June.
– O-posts
