Super Eagles rookie Ebenezer Akinsanmilo has described his invitation to the Nigeria national team as one of the greatest achievements of his career.
The 21-year-old midfielder, who currently plays for Pisa in Italian Serie B, spoke about his emotions surrounding his call-up in a recent interview.
Akinsan Miro explained that the invitation to the national team came as a surprise, especially after missing his previous chance due to injury.
“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it,” he said. “I was called up for the first time during the World Cup qualifiers, but unfortunately I couldn’t come due to injury. When I was called up to AFCON, I called someone close to me and cried.”
The midfielder explained that it was an emotional reaction due to how long he had been waiting for the opportunity to represent Nigeria.
He revealed that playing for the national team has been a personal dream of his since his youth team days.
“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time,” Akinsanmiro said. “I tried out at the U17 and U20 levels, but I wasn’t called up. There were times when I thought I wasn’t good enough, but I kept pushing and did my best, believing that one day I would get an opportunity.”
Reflecting on his upbringing, Akinsanmilo explained that he was not able to watch soccer regularly as a child.
He said that although his love for playing soccer was strong, watching games was a luxury he could not afford at the time.
“To be honest, I didn’t watch much soccer when I was younger,” he explained. “Where I grew up, you had to pay in advance to watch a game, but I wasn’t allowed to do that when I was a kid. I didn’t really get a chance to watch a game.”
He added that as he grew older and became more motivated to pursue a career in football, he began to seek inspiration through other avenues.
“When I got older and made it clear that I wanted to play football, I started watching Mikel Obi and Jay Jay Okocha on YouTube,” he said. “I loved the way they played and the confidence they had on the ball.”
Akinsanmilo also highlighted the role his family played in shaping his career, stating that his father and brother are his biggest inspirations.
“My inspiration is my father and brother,” he revealed. “They all played soccer when they were young, and I decided to follow in their footsteps.”
Also read: NFF petition over DRC player allegations of ineligibility FIFA
However, he explained that there was a time in his life when he doubted whether football would provide him with a secure future. During that period, he took a temporary break from the game to learn his trade.
“There was a time when I felt like football wasn’t 100 percent guaranteed for me,” he said. “I quit football for a while and learned barbing. But thanks to the inspiration and encouragement from my father and brother, I returned to football.”
Akinsan Miro currently plays for Pisa on loan from Inter Milan.
He has already featured in 12 games and, based on his performances, could play a key role in Pisa’s midfield as the club battles to remain this season.
