The FC Zurich striker with the spaghetti legs

13 years old Assan Ceesay was, as a game agent showed up at his home and the mother said the son had Talent, he should Academy to France in a Football. For the small Assan, the case was clear, for the mother also. Only the opinions were different. Mother Ceesay wanted to, that her son stays in, he was too young to follow his Dreams. "It was incredibly hard, I cried for a long time," says Ceesay.

But for all the tears and all the anger, it was that Moment that the lanky Boy from the Gambian capital Banjul believed to be the first Time that he could make it out of the country with its two million inhabitants; that he would once football; that people think in his district with Pride in him.

man of short sentences

Today, it has managed to Ceesay. He is a professional, national players and plays in Europe in the FCZ. The 24-Year-old speaks in short sentences, although he would have much to tell. He speaks in a low voice, although adorn his story exclamation mark. Silent and sensitive, he was a coach Ludovic Magnin said. As a quiet colleague Hekuran Kryeziu referred to him. Shy, says Ceesay about yourself. And be careful.

The Gambier is going through difficult times. The FCZ is gaining too little. Striker Ceesay shoots to little goals. Since he came in the autumn for around two million Swiss francs from Lugano to Zürich, he scored two goals. Just two goals. There are people who call him chance killer, others criticize its pitiful way, balls to accept (even the players make sayings), and some do not see in Ceesay even a Symbol for it, which is why it is not in the FCZ and the Club is in relegation danger. Many players suffer from weakness such as Ceesay to form, in addition, the transfer policy has failed. As in the summer with Dwamena and Frey practically the whole of the storm was sold, came Ceesay and Kasai, Andereggen and Binous striker playing today, especially in the U-21. Ceesay says that he was not the first and not the last striker who suffer from Goalless. "The goals will come," he says, until then, he had to be strong in the head, and his trust: his speed and his shot.

coach of Magnin has already tried a lot of things with Ceesay, has not spoken with him, then again, sometimes he was quiet and sometimes loud. Now the coach has come to the conclusion that everything is a matter of self-confidence. But it is tricky. For gates Ceesay itself requires trust – and this, in turn, goals. He currently has both.

As the feet bleeding

It is not the first Time that Ceesay suffers as a footballer . He has played as a small Boy, long, barefoot, in the streets and fields Banjuls, Sand and stone, and because he always wanted to win and, therefore, never to return, came the small Ceesay, often with bloody feet home – sometimes with wounds so bad that the mother had to go with him to the hospital, all the skin missing scraps on the toes. "You had no pleasure," says Ceesay. Money for football shoes, the family had none, the father was a tailor and died when Ceesay was 13, her mother sold on the street food. "We were not rich but also not poor," says Ceesay.

When he was seven, held his school in a football tournament, and Ceesay scored the most goals. The price: brand-new shoes. "Nike Tiempo", says Ceesay. As if he could ever forget the reason and the name for his toes balm. Ceesay was good and fast. But it is also built differently than his colleagues. His Stature is lean, his legs are thin and sinewy. "The man with the spaghetti legs," you call him in the Gambia early on, then later, as he shot to a height of: Torres. Also, because Ceesay Liverpool mag and the former striker Fernando Torres loves. And how emotional was this Kid. Sometimes he cried during the game, because it's not delivery, because he met.

first reward: 75 Swiss francs

at 17, he was in the highest Gambian League play, a League for semi-professionals. Ceesay earned 75 francs a month, and the goal scorer was king, he joined with 20 to the neighboring country Senegal and then to Lugano in Switzerland. He was brought in front of the exchange Council, with Pa Modou, today's team-mates, whose family lives in Banjul, only 400 meters away from Ceesay. Pa Modou told him that Switzerland was a good country to start his international career.

With Pa Modou, he shares the Faith, Ceesay is a Muslim and prays five times a day. "I want to be a good person and grateful," he says. Grateful that it is well on with his life, that he has never taken a shortcut. At the time, as a Teenager on the streets Banjus than their peers smoked, and stole. His mother said to him: Promise me not to do the same. Small Assan promised. Today, colleagues of that time to call him sometimes, those people that smoke weed and have stolen. You ask if he could send some money. Ceesay then send with Western Union "50 or 100 francs" to the Gambia, he also makes it with the other Acquaintances and family members. "If I can help, it makes me happy," says Ceesay.

And because he is careful, he thinks all his next actions and steps exactly, he don't wanna regret anything in his life. Wherein. There is one thing, but with 13, the Agent, the football Academy in France. Ceesay regrets that he is not at that time. "Then I'd be today," he says. Now he has to shoot the goals in order to advance.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 04.05.2019, 11:27 PM