Why Does Everyone Want 'Europe's Worst Striker'??

Why Does Everyone Want 'Europe's Worst Striker'??

If you happen to be a Sheffield United, Derby County, or Newcastle United fan, or perhaps you may even be a Danish patriot, you will be familiar with the name Will Osula.

And upon hearing that name, your reaction may have been one of the following:

"Ah yes, I remember him; he wasn't very good, though." - If you're of the more reserved volition.

"Hahaha yes, he was sh*te!" - If you're the type who doesn't mince their words.

"Whey aye. He's got something about him; he's just as thick as mince." - This one mainly applies if you're a Newcastle fan, as you might have guessed…

Now, Osula hasn't exactly set the world alight anywhere he's been, and although Newcastle has been where he's shown flashes of his best work, at 22 years old, it feels the Dane may be destined for a career away from the upper echelons of football's spotlight.

But, despite that sentiment being shared by most fans who have seen him in the flesh (apart from me, but we'll get to that later), it seems clubs who don't reside in England have a very different perception of Osula.

The forward is almost constantly engulfed with transfer speculation from a plethora of clubs – and that is no different this January.

A Wanted Man

The list of clubs who have looked to take Osula off Newcastle's hands reads more like that of a highly tipped wonderkid than a player who has yet to really blossom into a fully fledged starter in senior football.

In just the last year, Real Betis, Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and most recently Marseille have all reportedly been pushing to sign the Danish international.

In fact, Osula was almost guaranteed to move to Frankfurt last summer for around £35m, a fee Newcastle fans were exceptionally happy with, only to see the deal thwarted by some injuries and a subsequent thin squad which meant Osula's services were still required in the North East.

But, interestingly enough, since that fell through, Newcastle have stood firm, clearly reluctant to sell Osula.

So, with all of those clubs clearly seeing Osula as a very handy option, and Newcastle clearly seeing him as part of the squad after not entertaining that interest for the most part, what could we possibly be missing?

Well, I'm about to tell you.

The Good, The Bad & The Osula

Before we make it to Osula's endearing traits, it's worth taking a little look at why all of this interest comes as a shock to most.

In short, he is exceptionally raw and often likened to a headless chicken.

On the ball, his nature is nothing short of chaotic. In fact, he only ever appears one touch away from losing possession, such is the unpredictable nature of his play.

Off the ball, his keen running can't be downplayed, other than the fact he can be a bit overzealous and chases the ball like a dog with a bone rather than stay in a disciplined shape.

But, strangely enough, all of those points I just mentioned are also why Osula feels like he might have something special.

Merely a look at some of the few goals he has scored in a black and white shirt, and it's almost impossible to dismiss his talent.

Take the goals against Bromley in the FA Cup last season, for example, where Osula commissioned a quick step over and lethal drop of the shoulder before cutting inside and curling a delicious strike into the top corner.

Or the Liverpool game earlier this season, where the Dane showed pure grit and determination before nicking the ball past Alisson and into the net.

Despite the sometimes unhinged nature of his closing down, the effort is there for all to see, and he clearly has the right attitude and enthusiasm required to go far.

So, when you put a positive spin on some of the attributes fans think are weaknesses, it begins to become more apparent why such a strong cohort of clubs performing in European competitions are vying for his signature.

Whether he ever fulfils the untapped potential which has frustrated so many thus far is yet to be seen, but one thing is for certain – if someone can put him in the right environment and give him a chance to shine, there is definitely a diamond in the rough waiting to be uncovered.