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Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is looking to make his mark in the Italian Serie A with Lazio this season, as he aims to improve on his goal tally from the previous campaign when he caught the attention of the club, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigeria international has been easing himself into the set-up of the Italian club since he joined them in the summer from Hatayaspor and he revived his goal confidence on Sunday, coming off the bench to score the last goal in their emphatic 5-1 victory over Monza at the Stadio Olimpico.
It was his third goal in 15 Serie A games and fifth in 21 games across all competitions this season, taking him closer to the nine-goal plus six assists mark he had while playing in Turkey last season. He also has two assists this season.
“The way I describe myself is a box-to-box midfielder, very energetic, powerful. I can score goals, and get assists. That’s the type of player I am,” he said in an interview via the Serie A YouTube channel.
“I would like to maybe if I can’t equal the amount of goals I got last season, maybe one more so maybe 10 goals this season hopefully. And also for the team, I would say to qualify for the Champions League, winning is the most important thing and winning is what makes me the most happy on the pitch.”
The 24-year-old’s most involvement has come in the Europa League where he has scored two goals and two assists to help the club finish top and qualify straight for the last 16.
Lazio are currently fourth in the Serie A with 45 points, 10 points behind the leaders and the Nigerian believes he is on the right project with the club.
“From the moment they first approached me, I knew that this was going to be the club that I go to for sure. The club with its massive history, the city, the fans, everything is what I’ve always wanted as a player.
“And so I think this is the perfect time for me in my career to play for a massive club with high expectations. Even last season, I was always watching Serie A matches. It’s a very competitive league, I would say tactically is very, very high level. You have to be concentrating all the time on the pitch. It’s also very physically demanding. That’s what I would say about Serie A.”
Lazio coach, Marco Baroni and Dele-Bashiru’s teammate, Mattia Zaccagni believe in the player’s ability to help the team reach their goal this season.
“He has physical and technical qualities. Of course, he needs to improve his tactical awareness but we need his energy and freedom. He has these attributes which are part of modern football. He has to get better and have the confidence of the team, everyone here and me,” the coach said.
“He’s got a great engine and a bust of pace. You can find him all over the pitch. He is a lad with so much energy,” striker Zaccagni added.
On getting better, Dele-Bashiru, who is a product of the Manchester City Academy understands the position of his gaffer.
“We get along well with him and the rest of the coaching staff. They help me a lot and what he wants me to do more is try and, you know, when I receive the ball, go forward more, my body positions, things like that. So I’m trying to implement that into my game.”
When he was just eight, Dele-Bashiru entered the Manchester City Academy together with his brother, Tom Dele-Bashiru. He made his professional debut for Sheffield Wednesday in 2020 and caught Lazio’s attention last season during an impressive campaign with Hatayaspor in Turkey.
“Yeah, it felt very, very good. Of course, a proud moment for me. You know, Manchester City is a very, very big club. At the time, they were on the come up. So of course, it was a very, very big thing for me and my family being in a club that has a very, very good infrastructure, the facilities, everything like that. So it was perfect for me growing up.”
The midfielder will hope to continue his impressive run for the club when they face leaders Napoli on Saturday while an all-important international break awaits him and his Super Eagles teammates in March.
