Sports News of Friday, 4 October 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Stay off TikTok and focus on making Barcelona's first team - Charles Taylor to David Oduro

David Oduro (left)  and Charles Taylor play videoDavid Oduro (left) and Charles Taylor

Ghana Premier League legend, Charles Taylor has advised Ghanaian Barcelona B defender David Oduro to stay off social media and focus on making Barcelona's first team.

Taylor's advice stems from a viral video of David Oduro sharing his surreal experience at Barcelona, in which he appeared to be pleasingly fond of getting close to the first-team players whom he used to watch on TV.

Speaking on Angel TV, Taylor entreated the Ghanaian youngster not to get comfortable and develop a hunger for a place in the first team rather than being too proud to be called a Barcelona player.

"You shouldn't have the mentality that you are playing for Barcelona B, that's it. The Barcelona B team is even more difficult. It's difficult because they rely on the B team for quality players for the first team.

The one-time CAF Champions League winner referenced the sad story of Ghanaian talent Christian Sarbah as an example of how players fail to reach their full potential after a big move from Ghana to Europe.

"I will use Christian Sarbah as an example. Do you know he played for Bayern Munich? He was with the youth team. He never played for the first team. Bayern signed him and Osei Kuffoiur but they promoted Kuffour. Sarbah was comfortable because he was satisfied with playing for Bayern."

Charles Tayor advised the former Accra Lions defender to set his priorities right and ditch making videos on social media.

"We are all happy they have joined Barcelona but we want to see them play for the first team. They should stop doing videos at this stage and remain focused because that is the most important thing."

David Oduro, in the viral video, opened up about the experience of training with the first and youth teams at FC Barcelona.

According to him, it is more difficult to train with Barcelona B than the senior team.

He expressed that training with Barcelona B comes with a lot more pressure as most players are eager to impress.

“Training with the first team is good because there is no pressure. The youth can press you, and I go in hard on them. What I meant is that training with the first team and second team are different,” he said.

Oduro also remarked about meeting some of Barcelona’s big stars, including the hugely talented Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde.

He describes the feeling of meeting and training alongside players he watched on television as surreal and unbelievable.

“Yamal has a beautiful skin colour. I was like, these are the guys I have been watching on TV and now playing with them,” he said.

EE/EK