The English teenager Noni Madueke rejected English giants to star for PSV Eindhoven
![The English teenager Noni Madueke rejected English giants to star for PSV Eindhoven](https://www.thecaribbeanalert.com/resources/files/2021/10/20211026034806_2250671.jpg)
Last season the Barnet-born 19-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in the Netherlands, scoring nine goals and registering eight assists. His form earned him a call-up for England's Uefa European Under-21 Championship last March and caught the attention of clubs from back home and farther afield.
And if his style as a direct, robust and versatile attacker sounds familiar, that's because it was inspired by one of the Premier League's biggest names.
"The person who made me want to play football was Cristiano Ronaldo when he played for Manchester United," Madueke says. "He was my idol. I grew up watching him."
Despite his allegiance to United, Madueke rejected the opportunity to join them in favour of a switch he felt better served his progression. He had been thriving in Tottenham's youth teams when, in the summer of 2018, aged 16, he decided to move in search of a faster route to senior football.
United was one of several top clubs who wanted Madueke, but he opted for the first-team pathway on offer at PSV.
"Chelsea, Manchester United, many European clubs [made offers]," Madueke explains.
"I came here one time, and as soon as I came, I wanted to sign straight away. I knew going from Tottenham to United is pretty much the same thing. The reason I wanted to go was to progress quickly into the first team. PSV is a top European club. It made so much sense at the time, and it makes sense now."
At PSV, Madueke was able to learn at the prolific feet of a Premier League great. He credits former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy - the manager of Jong PSV, the club's second string - with sharpening his scoring instincts.
"Ruud helped me a lot," Madueke says. "I was with him almost two years, from when I came until I went to the first team. I sponged off him, and I learned a lot of things."
Vindication for Madueke's Dutch decision came quickly. He stood out in the under-19s and Jong PSV and handed a first-team debut aged 17, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw with VVV-Venlo in January 2020.
The teenage winger's ability to adapt to the senior game came as little surprise to those who have worked with him. He has always been developmentally ahead of the curve.
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