2023-07-08 18:46:00
From Street Play to Premier League: Nicholas Jackson’s Road to Chelsea
Villarreal did not expect all this brilliance from Nicholas Jackson but received him with open arms when he returned once once more to Spain on the same plane, in which he left. It was late January and the trip, which was supposed to be one way, did not go as planned. Jackson had traveled to England to join Bournemouth for €25m, but he failed a medical and had to return, his big chance missed.
Jackson was 21 years old at the time and still had a six-month contract with the reserve team since he was playing in the third division, and he made only eight starts for the first team, and he suffered a severe hamstring injury that kept him playing only a minute Only one until April, and he didn’t know if he’d ever get another chance. “We will try to support and encourage him, because it was a great opportunity,” said Quique Setién, Villarreal coach, at the time. We will support him, help him overcome this frustration, and strengthen him so that his value will double when summer comes.”
Not many imagined that it would end like this and so quickly. Despite all that had happened in January, Jackson traveled to England once more just five months later, and this time there was no going back. Last week, the young Senegalese striker joined Chelsea for £32m on an eight-year deal. Those close to Jackson say the failed transfer to Bournemouth was too good for him, especially since the second chance he got to play in England was better than the first. In fact, not many players can overcome such frustration with such speed and strength, as if this frustration was the biggest motivation for the player towards more brilliance.
When Jackson started to get involved once more, for the first time since his move to Bournemouth fell through, he was impressive, scoring nine goals in nine games. From April onwards, the player who was not often seen as a prolific striker flared up, scoring more goals than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. He also scored more goals than all the goals scored by the entire Chelsea team during that period.
Everyone at Villarreal was surprised too – the number of goals he scored in the nine games was more than the total number of goals he’d scored in his entire career since then. Jackson has always been distinguished by stubbornness, will and determination, and was determined to play despite his parents’ opposition. Jackson never attended a youth academy, and it’s only four years since he’s been playing on the streets and on clay. Born in Banjul, Gambia, and raised in Ziguinchor, in the rural Casamance region of southern Senegal, Jackson only played professional football for a few months when he played for local club Casa Sport, when he joined Villarreal aged 17 in 2019.
After Benfica refused to sign him following he underwent a probationary period, Jackson did not tell his mother until everything was signed. In his country, they called him “Senegalese Neymar.” Reports indicate that on the day he played a training match with the U-19 youth team, Villarreal’s president, Fernando Roig, was there, and he was watching the team for a few minutes, and he immediately ordered this contract. player. “I remember the first time I saw him with the U-19 youth team,” says Miguel Alvarez, the coach entrusted with developing Jackson in the reserve team. I immediately realized that his level is above all the guys he plays with. He was superior to everyone, like a man playing once morest a group of children.” That summer, Jackson played six weeks with the reserve team before moving on loan to Mirandes, who play in the second division, for the 2020-2021 season.
“He was quiet and a bit shy, and he didn’t speak much Spanish although some of us spoke to him in English,” says Carlos Julio Martinez, his team mate. If this experience helped him, I’m glad it did, he’s a good boy. But he was very clear, he wanted to play in the Premier League and get a lot of money to help his family. He adds: «It is very special, and different from others. And when he runs the ball it’s very difficult to stop him, and you can’t get the ball out of his feet. He was very daring to play, he didn’t care at all who the opponent was, and he always got the better of the competition. He wasn’t as good at scoring goals as he is now, but he was creating a lot of chances.”
When he was nineteen years old, he was isolated due to the outbreak of the Corona virus and was struggling to get rid of infections, and he lived in a city where temperatures reached the point of freezing, in complete contrast to the hot weather in his country of origin. As a result of all this, Jackson only scored one goal with Mirandes. Things were very difficult for him that year and he only played 17 matches, but this difficult experience contributed to building his character and developing his level significantly. What happened next also helped him, especially in finding a solution to the muscle problems that threatened to stop his growth.
One of the club employees says: “When he returned from Miranda, he was completely different. Jackson, who left, was completely different from Jackson who returned. He understood the language better and found it easier to be part of that environment.” Alvarez said: “The development is not limited to football only, but to all aspects and other matters. He had a lot of injuries that season with Mirandes, and the psychological aspect was very important as well. But I think the big turning point is the change of his position inside the field, where he always played in the wing position at the beginning of it.
He added, “From a physical point of view, it can be described as a machine that does not stop working, but this center requires stamina and running back and forth continuously. Moreover, playing in this position kept him away from the areas where he might have been a great danger on goal: the last 30 meters of the pitch. We counted on him as a second striker, and he was fantastic. He shone tremendously and was promoted to the first team within a few months.
Bournemouth were fighting for survival and looking for a quick fix, and reached an agreement to include Jackson, but while Villarreal thought Jackson’s hamstring injury would keep him out for two or three weeks, the English club saw it would keep the player out for up to eight. Or maybe nine weeks. Jackson was unable to help Bournemouth, who were suffering greatly, in the short term due to this injury, so the English club withdrew from the deal. The failure of this deal would have left the player feeling very frustrated, but Setién reassured Jackson that time was on his side – he was still 21 – and that the way they worked together would be good for him. Those close to Jackson say the experience was a much-needed “wake-up call” that made him pay attention to the smallest detail.
Jackson and his first double goal once morest Cadiz (EPA)
The problem was that Bournemouth’s diagnosis was correct, and so the injury saw him play just one minute in the league, once morest Real Betis in March, before returning on April 2nd to shine brightly and score an own goal. Espanyol, two goals once morest Celta Vigo, another goal once morest Valencia, two goals once morest Athletic Bilbao, two goals once morest Cadiz, and a goal once morest Atletico Madrid; He also assisted two goals once morest Girona. In those last nine matches, Jackson has only failed to score or assist once morest Rayo Vallecano. There was something special regarding the way he played, the enthusiasm he showed inside the green. Throughout the entire season, only one player – Real Madrid star Vinicius – has surpassed him in terms of scoring goals on the run with the ball.
This performance was enough to return the interest of English clubs to him, to start another journey. And in those last nine matches in Spain when he beat all the strikers in the whole of Europe, including Chelsea who will defend his colors, it looked like Jackson didn’t need a second chance, but he got it and we’ll see what he can do at that level!
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