Victor Osimhen Speaks About His Childhood Living in Poverty: “It Is Not Normal”
- Victor Osimhen is the highest-paid and one of the most accomplished Nigerian footballers in Europe
- Osimhen broke onto the scene at the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup, and it changed his story forever
- The Super Eagles forward has described his childhood, which he experienced in poverty in Lagos
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Victor Osimhen has opened up about his experience as a child, in which he lived in poverty in the Olusosun community in Lagos state before he rose to fame.
He is the last of seven children of Elder and Mrs Patrick Christianah Osimhen, both of whom he lost to death before he gained prominence and financial freedom.
Source: Getty Images
In a previous interview reported by Punch, he admitted that rescuing his family out of poverty through his football career is his greatest achievement.
Osimhen explains his childhood experience
The Napoli forward has shared his childhood story on many occasions whenever he has the chance to, and again in a recent interview, explained what living was like.
“80% of my life I lived in this place [Olusosun] before I went to search for greener pastures, because this place is not a place that gives you a lot of promises,” he told Instablog9ja TV.
“First of all, it was two, and then the hardship became even harder, and then we moved to one, seven children alongside my mum and dad stayed in one room upstairs.
He realised early it was not the kind of life he wanted for himself and his family, and was determined to make it out of the hood and change things for good.
“It is not normal,” he continued. “To live in abject poverty is not something encouraging; it is something that you wake up every morning to know that the roof over your head is not even yours, and anytime you can get kicked out.
“On this street you're seeing, it has been shame upon shame, just anything you can actually think of, and for my family, it was not an exception.”
He left football for a few years to ‘hustle’ doing all kinds of jobs to support his family, and it wasn't until he got to SSS3 that he quit school and focused on work and football.
“After I moved to SS3, I just said, ‘you know what, I'm done with school to focus on what I know how to do best and invest my time and energy into it’,” he added.
Source: Getty Images
“My life was a miracle, it was God who did it for me, not because I was the most talented or whatsoever, but the way I worked so hard and I put God first, it was impossible for me not to make it.”
Osimhen has turned his life around and is set to sign for Galatasaray permanently, where he will earn ₦29.6 billion per year after turning down ₦83.2 billion from Saudi club Al-Hilal.
Osimhen reveals the menial jobs he did
Legit.ng previously reported that Victor Osimhen opened up on the menial jobs he did during his teenage years to support his poverty-stricken family.
The 2023 African Footballer of the Year admitted that he helped neighbours to wash gutters, worked as a lotto agent and also as a bus conductor.
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Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
