Wijnaldum Reveals Reason Behind Shirt Number

By Daily Sports on March 28, 2020

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has revealed he wears No.5 because his favourite player as a child was Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane.

The iconic Frenchman is now in his second spell as Los Blancos head coach after winning a record-breaking three successive Champions League titles in his first stint at the helm – adding to the multitude of silverware he won as a player with both club and country.

Zidane, who also spent five years at Serie A giants Juventus, famously wore the shirt number and it has inspired Dutchman Wijnaldum to follow suit, wearing it throughout his Premier League career.

“Number five is a really special number for me,” Wijnaldum said in an Instagram Live broadcast. “It was my lucky number when I was young but also because my favourite player, Zinedine Zidane, was playing with number five.

“I was really happy that I could start my professional career as number five. Since then I've played with number five at Newcastle and when I came to Liverpool, the club basically kept number five for me. I was really happy with that.”

The 29-year-old also revealed that Mexico international midfielder Andres Guardado – who Wijnaldum faced at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as the Netherlands triumphed 2-1 – was the most challenging individual he had ever come up against.

“The toughest opponent I ever played against was Andres Guardado,” Wijnaldum continued. “There was a game at the World Cup against Mexico, it was really hot and he was my opponent that day.

“It was a really hot day and he just kept running! It was really difficult for me, and besides that, he’s also a really good football player.

“On the ball, he was really great. It was a big thing for me to stop him. Because it was so hot, it was more difficult than normal, but at the end, we still won the game.”

Wijnaldum and his team-mates were knocked out of that tournament on penalties at the semi-final stage by eventual runners-up

Argentina but did beat host nation Brazil 3-0 to cement third place in the playoff. (Goal)

•PHOTO: Georginio Wijnaldum 

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 28, 2020


 

You may also like...
Nigeria consider cancelling World Cup warm-up match against...

UEFA fines Croatia over crowd trouble

Onuachu Fires Zagreb Warning With Seraing Hat-Trick

Guardiola Cries Out Ahead Cup Clash With Manchester...

Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell inspire comeback win...

Iniesta: World Cup Win Saved Me From Depression...

 

Latest News Nigeria beat Cameroon to reach IHF final 27 schools for Doregos Basketball Championship Super Falcons to play France’s Les Bleues in friendly SWAN suspends ban on coverage of Anambra FA activities Joshua among boxing’s top three earners in 2024 Oshoala makes history with Bay FC Nnamani hails team over IHF bright start Flamingos lift U-17 W’Cup Fair Play Trophy Rangers Intl, SWAN partner on sports collaboration in SE LAGOS SWAN CELEBRATES AIG ZONE 2 ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND 30 DAYS IN OFFICE Traders Cup: Upholstery Soccer Team Secured 2nd Win To Advance To Round Two Lagos SWAN Celebrates Oba Akiolu, Iyaloja General, AIG Fayoade

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,140 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,267 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,349 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (43,989 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,930 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,877 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,717 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,287 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,331 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,034 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,487 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,915 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media