Patrick Dorgu’s Man Utd transfer? The making...

Manchester United’s curiosity in Patrick Dorgu highlights how rapidly the younger Denmark worldwide has progressed. He solely made his debut in senior soccer final yr however the Lecce left-back is already eager to take the following step in his profession.

Lecce themselves, clinging determinedly to their Serie A standing for a 3rd season in a row, recognized Dorgu in FC Nordsjaelland’s famed academy earlier than he had even damaged by. There too, at FCN, there’s pleasure and satisfaction on the participant’s improvement.

“Our good scouting noticed him fairly quick,” Alexander Riget, their technical director, tells Sky Sports activities. It required Riget and the present Norwich Metropolis head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup to make the journey to Jutland to see him. “It’s a five-hour drive from right here.”

They noticed one thing in Dorgu, simply 12 years previous on the time. He performed “one yr up” of their U13 crew however was not a standout star. “He was all the time participant however he developed very effectively slightly later, on the age of 16 or 17.” Earlier than lengthy, he was gone.

“His journey is slightly totally different from lots of our different gamers. Usually, they play 50 to 100 video games after which go away for a much bigger membership.” Is that irritating? “No, we had been nonetheless a vital a part of his journey. We’re very joyful about his scenario for the time being.”

It was difficult. Martin Frese, now additionally in Serie A with Verona, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament damage that resulted in him staying at Nordsjaelland longer than anticipated. Daniel Svensson, a 22-year-old Sweden worldwide, stays with the membership now.

“The pipeline in that place was slightly longer than traditional so I feel for Patrick the step that he took was the best one. Most of our gamers will come by the primary crew however the cause we exist is expertise improvement. In the event that they take one other path, we’re nonetheless proud.”

Riget speaks warmly of Dorgu’s household. His two brothers play, one in every of them is at Genoa and the opposite is a goalkeeper in Denmark’s decrease leagues. His sister performs handball. Their Nigerian-born dad and mom have supported all of them the way in which, encouraging their schooling.

That’s crucial at Nordsjaelland, the place big emphasis is positioned on education and character improvement. “It means quite a bit to us.” Expertise is the first cause different golf equipment look to Nordsjaelland for gamers, however the mentality of their graduates is important too.

“I feel him and his household have been the principle cause for the place he’s now, however with our programme we are able to say that we facilitated Patrick’s improvement. We give them a really sturdy soccer schooling however an enormous a part of it’s educating gamers away from the pitch.

‘At all times targeted’

“Patrick is certainly coachable. He’s an excellent listener. He isn’t a man who speaks quite a bit. He’s fairly silent and it’s a must to be slightly affected person when you’re asking questions as a result of he’s a thinker, so he must get began earlier than he’s going to say one thing.

“However he’s a really decided participant. He has all the time targeted on being higher. An actual soccer participant. You know the way it’s these days with youthful gamers, additionally they produce other pursuits, watching issues on their iPad, enjoying FIFA, doing different issues, social media.

“Patrick? Return and take a look at his social media for these sort of issues. There may be not quite a bit. He simply performed soccer along with his brothers. Each time we had been on the market for a coaching session, after it was over, I couldn’t get him off the pitch. He simply wished to play.

“One other factor that claims quite a bit about him is that I can not bear in mind him ever being injured since he began with Nordsjaelland. That’s seven years in a row, which could be very uncommon. In fact, I feel that additionally says one thing about how he treats his physique.”

That physicality has develop into an necessary side of Dorgu’s sport when requested to rise up and down the flank at Lecce. “He will get within the field, arrives for crosses, and that’s linked to his bodily capability, which has undoubtedly developed in recent times,” says Riget.

“However he has all the time been runner. He can cowl loads of distance and do it with excessive depth. When he performed for Nordsjaelland, we obtained the experiences from the trackers and he was usually a type of with one of the best and the best bodily numbers.”

‘Very versatile’

It helps to elucidate why Manchester United may need earmarked him for that specialist wing-back position. “He can play loads of positions however we all the time had an concept that he would develop into a full-back or a wing-back. He is an effective match for that place,” explains Riget.

“However I do assume he’s a participant who can cowl loads of positions. When he was a younger participant, I had a sport the place he performed as a striker, he performed as a midfielder, as a left winger and as a full-back. So he’s very versatile. That matches effectively with trendy soccer.”

Character, robustness, physicality and suppleness. However can he play? Completely. Dorgu can beat an opponent by bursting in direction of the byline and even lower inside and hearth off a shot when enjoying from the best. There’s a perception that he can deal with the following step up.

“Together with his technical degree in small areas, I feel it is extremely tough to place him beneath strain as a result of he’s very calm on the ball and excellent in tight areas. He’s good at dribbling as effectively. Transferring the ball away from the opponent’s toes is a trademark for him.”

‘ team-mate’

At Nordsjaelland, they nonetheless have a vested curiosity in his progress. A sell-on clause is in place. “We made an settlement with Lecce when he moved. In fact, we’re curious the way it will go along with him.” However not simply due to the cash. “As a result of he’s one in every of our personal.”

Riget provides: “Since he moved to Italy, he has been again to the membership many instances. He’s nonetheless an excellent team-mate to lots of his mates within the 2004 age group. I see him at our facility, watching coaching from the window. He needs to spend time along with his previous mates.

“We attempt to assist him and our door is all the time open. He’ll all the time be part of our membership. Perhaps he’ll return to Nordsjaelland after he has been overseas for a few years. However with the sum of money we’re speaking about right here, it is not going to be for a very long time.”

The journey for Dorgu is simply starting, his two seasons in Serie A simply the beginning for the boy noticed in Jutland eight years in the past. For the person who took that highway journey, there isn’t a cause to assume that the event in Dorgu’s sport is more likely to cease any time quickly.

“Take a look at his improvement at Lecce and Nordsjaelland earlier than that. I feel it’s that character that we talked about, the way in which that he’s, how sturdy he’s from a psychological perspective, not getting dragged in several instructions, all the time being targeted.

“I feel in the event you see what he has been able to over the last couple of years, I feel it will be unsuitable to say that he can not make it additional as a result of I feel his development has been very spectacular. I feel he’ll develop into a prime skilled on the highest degree.”