Super Eagles and Leganes defender, Kenneth Omeruo, has disclosed that playing in the Spanish League is tactically more demanding compared to the Premier League.
Omeruo, who had been on the books of Chelsea for many years until he joined Leganes on a permanent deal in 2019, was recently named the Spanish club’s captain.
In his thoughts, the Nigerian defender said, “Playing in England is more physical with lots of aerial balls, but not as tactical and technical as in Spain.
“As a defender, both experiences have helped me to defend against strong tall attackers. As a defender in the Spanish league, I have also learnt how to play with the balls.”
Omeruo, who was speaking at an event organized by La Liga (Nigeria) via zoom, was named Leganes captain after making his 102nd appearance for the club.
“It’s an honour to play over one hundred games for Leganes. For a long time, I have been a Chelsea player, and I could not achieve that. Coming here and settling down and playing a lot of games is an achievement and great honour to captain a team like Leganes. It’s also a big responsibility and the aim is to lift the team back to LaLiga.”
Omeruo was part of the Nigerian U20 team that reached the quarter-finals at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia and won the Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles in 2013 under the late Stephen Keshi.
Since that time he has been a part of the senior national team and has played at two World Cups, 2014 and 2018. In total, he has made 59 appearances for the Super Eagles and has a goal to his credit.
Omeruo added that discipline has kept him in the National team for this long and patience to wait for his turn when he’s not preferred.
“I have always maintained discipline and 100 percent respect for my coaches. In the national team, even when other players are preferred ahead of me, I just train and wait for my opportunity to come.
“I see a lot of players get angry for not making the starting lineup, and it sends a bad message to the coach because these coaches are human. They have 23 players and it’s difficult to select players, especially playing for Nigeria with lots of talents.
“I see it as a privilege to always get called up for the national team to represent Nigeria, whether being in the starting lineup or not. This attitude has also helped me in my club.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
