'He Lives Football' – Salzburg Journalist On Daka's Potential
- Salzburg24 journalist Aleksandar Andonov provides the lowdown on Patson Daka
- The Zambia international has signed a five-year contract at Leicester City
- Daka scored 27 goals in 28 appearances last season in the Austrian Bundesliga
- Andonov says the 22-year-old's hard-working mentality is among his best attributes
Daka, a Zambia international since the age of 16 and the winner of the Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Season prize with RB Salzburg in 2020/21, officially joins the Foxes today (1 July) after agreeing a five-year contract with the current Emirates FA Cup holders this summer.
The 22-year-old netted 27 league goals in 28 appearances last term and is set to become only the fourth player from his homeland to feature in the Premier League, following in the footsteps of Neil Gregory (Ipswich Town), Emmanuel Mayuka (Southampton) and Collins Mbesuma (Portsmouth).
While the former Salzburg forward's numbers are impressive, his work-rate and love for football should be just as exciting for the Blue Army, says Andonov, who has monitored his progress closely over recent seasons in Austria.
"Patson is a really big talent," he told LCFC.com earlier this week. "He developed in Salzburg really well. He’s down to earth and a really fast player. He always works hard. Football is one of the most important things after family for Patson. He’s just a nice guy and that sums him up really well.
"His pace is one of his qualities and, of course, in the box, he’s really, really good. He’s a fantastic striker. He always wants to learn from the different coaches he has. He always wants to help the team. The team is the most important thing for him, as well as scoring goals, and then trophies can come too.
"That’s what is really special about Patson. Lots of players that were here in Salzburg are now in the Premier League or the German Bundesliga, like Erling Haaland, Sadio Mané, Naby Keïta and so on.
"Daka can be a good fit for Leicester and for the Premier League. He can match the style of football in England with his energy and power. That’s perfect for Patson. He always works on his strengths, on his pace. He lives football and that’s one of his best attributes. He can be a very good player for Leicester."
Andonov is also confident that Daka can work well alongside Leicester's exciting strikers at the Club. The Zambian himself has already commented on his admiration for City No.9 Jamie Vardy, but whoever he features alongside, the Salzburg24 reporter is confident that Daka can adapt.
"The Premier League is different to the Austrian league, but what I can say about Patson is that he scored 27 goals in 28 games, with four assists," he added. "No other player has such good statistics. He can do really well in the Premier League.
"He can set some realistic targets if he doesn’t suffer any injuries next season. I'm sure he can play together with Leicester's strikers really, really well. Patson is very flexible. He can score with his head or his first or second contact with the ball.
"He’s excellent in the box and really fast. The harmony between Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho or anybody else could be really good."