Comparisons with footballing greats of the modern era have been something of a common occurrence at Premier League strugglers West Ham United recently.
Mohamadou Kante has shades of a young Patrick Vieira, and it is not just former Under-21 boss Mark Robson who thinks that.
The glowing praise provided by Robson back in August, before he was promoted to Nuno Espirito Santo’s first-team staff, were mirrored by Colchester manager Danny Cowley when Kante channeled the Arsenal icon during another barnstorming performance for West Ham United’s reserve team.
As for Callum Marshall, their talented Northern Irish hitman, Kevin Keen is reminded of Harry Kane when watching the former Huddersfield Town and West Brom loanee drill finishes into the bottom corner.
“There’s a poacher instinct to him,” Keen, the Hammers’ Lead Professional Development coach, told The Standard. “His goal in the Youth Cup final [when West Ham battered Arsenal 5-1 in 2023] sums it up. From probably about three or four yards, he’s got between bodies and volleyed it in.
“He’s also got that ability to score from near the edge of the box, a little bit like Harry Kane hits those low shots into far corners.”
El Hadji Malick Diouf, meanwhile, was nicknamed ‘Marcelo’ back home in his native Senegal in homage to the legendary Real Madrid left-back.
How far can Malick Diouf go? And what does he need to do to become a world-class left-back?
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West Ham United’s El Hadji Malick Diouf has shades of Real Madrid icon Marcelo
This week, the Premier League published a video on their official YouTube channel all about Diouf’s rise to prominence, made up of interviews from his parents, his close friends, and his former coaches in West Africa.
The West Ham flyer has made ‘incredible’ progress over the last couple of seasons. From academy football in Senegal to the pinnacle of the Premier League, via spells at Tromso in Norway and Czech champions Slavia Prague.
“Malick and I have known each other since we were kids,” says Mouhamed, a childhood friend from back home in Senegal.
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
“He was so passionate about football that sometimes he would skip classes! But that didn’t stop him being a good student.
“He could make a difference at any point in the game with a magical little move. He had that in him. The neighbourhood noticed that at a young age and called him Marcelo because he was so skilful.”
While Diouf is living the dream at West Ham, the £19 million signing has lofty ambitions. He idolises Nuno Mendes of Paris Saint-Germain. Who knows, one day he may be in contention to replace arguably the finest left-back in world football today.
The crown sitting atop Mendes’ head once belonged to Marcelo, of course. A footballer who almost transcended his position, and alongside Barcelona great Dani Alves was key to the emergence of full-backs as playmakers.
“They called him Marcelo. I said his name was not Marcelo, his name was El Hadji Malick Diouf! ‘Who is Marcelo?’, I asked. They responded, ‘Marcelo is a Real Madrid football player’,” explains Diouf’s father, determined to ensure his son makes a name for himself in his own right rather than piggybacking on that of another.
“I told them to call him by his real name and not Marcelo or any other player’s name.”
Just how on earth can West Ham BEAT Man City? 😱
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Nuno Espirito Santo will need Kyle Walker-Peters and Ollie Scarles during AFCON
West Ham will be without Diouf for the first time all season when they travel to Manchester City this weekend. Alongside Aaron Wan-Bissaka, he jetted out to take part in the 35th edition of the African Cup of Nations.
There is a chance, should both players reach the tournament’s latter stages, that Diouf and Wan-Bissaka could miss seven Premier League games. Who knows what state the Hammers will be in upon their return to England.
In the meantime, one of Diouf’s former coaches will feel vindicated having tipped his old protege for a bright future at the very peak of the English game.
“What impressed me was that he was left-footed. In Senegal, we know that there are not many left-footed midfielders,” says a man who introduces himself as Gomis.
“When he joined Tromso, I told him that was only his first stop, that this was not the final destination in his journey. We always believed that he would play in the Premier League.
“When someone loves what they do and believes in themselves, they are capable of achieving anything if they use those resources wisely.”
In their absence, Nuno is likely to field versatile Kyle Walker-Peters while introducing Ollie Scarles for the first time since he suffered a shoulder injury in October.
“No, no new injury issues,” Nuno said during his pre-Man City press conference on Thursday lunchtime. “Aaron is out and Malick is out. Nothing [new to be worried about] for the game specifically, but they are unavailable.
“Everybody else is available, I hope.
“I’m happy for them because I think it’s important to go to the national teams. But for us, as a squad, we are going to miss [Wan-Bissaka and Diouf]. It was something that was already scheduled, but we have to deal with the situation.
“[Walker-Peters and Scarles] are the natural options in those positions. Then, we will try to find versatile players within the squad who can also cover those roles, but Kyle and Ollie are the natural options right now.”
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