Manchester City’s young forward Jeremy Doku has shared insights on his most challenging adversary following an outstanding first season in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old Belgian achieved his lifelong ambition by joining Manchester City from French club Rennes last summer.
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He made a strong start, scoring against West Ham in mid-September and quickly establishing himself, with three goals and six assists in his initial 12 games.
Doku, known for his agility, ended the 2023/24 season with remarkable statistics, leading the Premier League in progressive carries with 218 and ranking second in successful dribbles, attempting 168 and succeeding in 51.2% of them.
Notably, in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in November, Doku executed more dribbles (11) than any other player in a single Premier League match since September 2021.
Throughout the season, Doku has excelled in one-on-one situations, but he acknowledges Chelsea’s Reece James as his most formidable opponent.
In a thrilling 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge, also in November, James’ defensive prowess was on full display, making five tackles in the first half, nearly outperforming the entire City squad.
Doku expressed his admiration for the English defender while reflecting on his season’s experiences.
“I’ve played against so many good defenders,” he tells SPORTbible. “Now it’s become so much more difficult with teams playing more defensively.
“I would say Reece James. I think he is a very strong and good defender, and one of the hardest I’ve ever played against.”
As well as speaking about his toughest opponent, Doku revealed his biggest inspirations.
“I am a dribbler so I have always been inspired by them the most,” he added. “Messi and Neymar, who I have played against, inspire me, as does Ronaldinho.”
Doku added: “Eden Hazard also inspires me, who I have had the opportunity to play with. Players amongst my national team also inspire me like Kevin De Bruyne, Vincent Kompany and Romelu Lukaku.”
Hailed as a rising star in Europe’s football scene, the ex-Anderlecht winger has just unveiled Nike’s new Spring Summer 2024 Underwear Campaign.
At 21, he introduced the latest Nike Underwear SS24 line, crafted with ultra-comfortable Nike Dri-FIT material, designed for sustained comfort throughout the day.
“For me it’s an honour to represent Nike Underwear,” he told us.
“To be captured and model for the global launch is such a privilege and it’s been great witnessing the campaign go live. For me, when it comes to underwear it has to be Nike.”
