Heerenveen SC of Holland fast-rising winger, Chidera Ejuke has cast his mind back to his early days in the round leather game and recalled how missing a possible deal at Liverpool of England turned out to be a major source of inspiration for him to excel in his career, megasportsarena.com learnt.
Although he admitted it was a huge blow and deeply disappointing back then, when he failed to get a contract with The Red Devils, after being invited and warmly welcomed for trials with the youth team at Anfield, the former Golden Eaglets’ invitee recounted how he recovered from it all and bounced back stronger through sheer determination and the zeal to succeed.
Incidentally, he had also been rejected twice by Eaglets’ coaches, in 2013 and 2015, with both squads going on to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates and Chile respectively, but Ejuke is now happy that he did not allow the setback of four years ago derail him altogether.
The 22-year-old dazzler, who shone for Heerenveen during the recently cancelled campaign in the Dutch Eredivisie, added that his setback at Liverpool, when he was just 18, inspired him to perform better, and he eventually left Gombe United in 2017 to join Valerenga of Norway.
A two-year stay at Intility Arena saw a number of European clubs jostle for his signature, but it was never as rosy as what is now coming his way, following a breakthrough season in Holland, and the rave of the moment admits he has been able to turn every disappointment into grace and blessings for his career, even as he is asking for more achievements, like Oliver Twist.
Ejuke told Voetbal: “When I was just 18-years-old and still living in Nigeria, there was a scouting programme on the other side of the country. It was the first time that I left my country and then also for an internship in my dream competition.
“I was picked out together with three peers by a scout from England. We were allowed to have a trial at Liverpool. We were warmly welcomed at Liverpool. We did an internship there for a few weeks, it went pretty well, but I probably wasn’t good enough.
“Liverpool was not interested and so we had to return to Nigeria. That was just as tough. This was the opportunity I had been dreaming about all these years and if it doesn’t work out, it’s bitter. It felt like I had let down my agent and my family.
“If I had taken that chance, it would have been a different story, but it was a good experience. That missed opportunity became a source of motivation for me and it helped me grow as a player. I had tasted Europe and now I wanted more.”
