Usman: The kid Ronaldinho

<p>Atama Anza Usman, a native of Nasarawa State and Eggon by tribe, is excited about the possibility of one day playing in Europe — with the English Premier League his preferred destination — and making history on the world stage like Ronaldinho, one of his idols.</p>, <p>The protege is a formidable athlete on the pitch. Originally an attacking midfielder with great skills, he developed into a forward with a free-reined attacking style. He entertains fans with his ability to mesmerise opponents with a sleight of foot that makes sufficient space for openings in opposing defences.</p>, <p>Usman is one of the great promises of Nigerian football. At just 12, the Pepsi Football Academy player has been compared to Ronaldinho because of his football similarities to the Brazilian.</p>, <p>“A lot of people say I play like him and share some similarities with the Brazil legend and I am happy about that,” Usman said.</p>, <p>“I didn’t watch him during his playing days but my coach and dad told me about him. I watch his videos and I really enjoy how he played. Always smiling when on the ball and he is great to watch.</p>, <p>“I only hope that one day I will be able to move to Europe to fulfil my dream of playing for the biggest clubs over there. But the dream is to play in the English Premier League and I hope that I can achieve that.”</p>, <p>Currently, the captain of his age group — U-12 — in Pepsi Football Academy Abuja Centre, Usman has won a lot of medals but intends to learn more before making the desired move abroad.</p>, <p>“I still have a lot to learn because I am just 12 years old and my coaches are doing their best to make me get better,” he told PUNCH Sports Extra.</p>, <p>“I want to be the best and the best way to achieve that is to stay focused and continue with my training and listen to the instructions from my coaches because they have been there for me and they want the best for me.”</p>, <p>While playing in Europe is one of Usman’s driving forces, the rising star added that he would love to one day be the c