Jeremy Doku names Lionel Messi & Ronaldinho as 'brilliant dribblers' he loved to watch

The Belgian winger joined Manchester City this summer

Jeremy Doku acknowledges that he modelled his game after Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho even though he did not grow up with idol posters on his wall.

The £56 million (£68 million) move to Premier League winners Manchester City over the summer transfer season solidified the winger's status as an international sensation in his own right.

It is not surprising that Doku, who now performs on the biggest platforms, drew inspiration from two South American greats when perfecting the skill of dribbling that allows him to terrorise opposing defences.

Doku has told City’s official club magazine of those he holds in the highest regard: “As a kid, I never had anyone’s poster on my wall. I used to have players I loved to watch – Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho – players who were brilliant dribbles.

I learned to dribble on my own – I was always outside, playing with a football practising – but nowadays, you see kids do that less and less and you don’t see as many kids playing on the street with a ball any more. They maybe play, but in their home or garden and I don’t think that’s good because I learned on the street against other kids. Street football was where I honed my skills.”

Doku, a fellow national of Kevin De Bruyne, will be working with another contemporary great at City now that he has attained the pinnacle of the game. To the master of the midfield, he added:

“Kevin’s a top player and a legend for Belgian people and for everyone who loves football, I think. We are very happy and proud to have him represent our country. I think the first time we spoke was when I played in the national team with him for the first time and he just said when he gives me the ball -and if I’m in a zone where I was one-on-one with a defender - just go! He also assisted my first goal for the national team.

I can’t wait, and I know I will learn a lot from him. I’ve enjoyed playing alongside Kevin for Belgium and I will enjoy playing alongside him with City. He can provide an assist from anywhere on the pitch which means I’ll score more goals. I can’t wait to line-up with him again and like everyone at City, I hope he recovers quickly.”

While De Bruyne recovers from a hamstring injury that is going to keep him out of action for several months, Doku has adapted to life at City without the support of a familiar face very swiftly. He scored his first goal for the team against West Ham in a Premier League matchup, and he is still in a battle for minutes on the left side of Pep Guardiola's offensive unit with players like Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.