Chidera Ejuke
Since moving to CSKA Moscow from Dutch top-flight SC Heerenveen two seasons ago, Chidera Ejuke had not looked back. With two goals in two games in the new season he had kicked off in a good note. It therefore did not come as a surprise as he was voted the Militarians best player in August
Super Eagles star, Chidera Ejuke has started the season brilliantly for CSKA Moscow and his performance has been rewarded as he has won the best player award for the month of August at Russian side.
The Nigerian striker has been a revelation at the CSKA Arena since he joined from Heerenveen in August 2020.
The 23-year-old scored five goals in 27 league appearances last season, and with just seven appearances this season, Ejuke has scored two goals and assisted one.
Ejuke put up outstanding performances in August, scoring twice to help CSKA Moscow secure two wins in four games, albeit one of the goals was a consolation in a 2-1 defeat against Dynamo Moscow.
In a statement via the club website, the former Valerenga man beat Russian internationals Alan Dzagoev and Igor Akinfeev to win the prestigious award.
“The Nigerian won 44 per cent of the vote. The second was Alan Dzagoev, the third – Igor Akinfeev.”
Ejuke will hope that his performances will help to propel his side to the top of the Russian league, as they currently sit eighth on the log.
Dutch club Heerenveen snapped up the former Nigerian U-17 star for two million Euros from Norwegian club Valerenga last year.
In just his first season in the Netherlands, Ejuke emerged Heerenveen’s best player, following several incredible displays which saw him smash the back of the net 10 times while making another four assists in the 25 games he played.
But more than the goals, though, were the youngster’s dribbles.
The season before his move to Moscow Ejuke attempted and completed the most dribbles in the Eredivisie, cementing his rating as the best dribbler in the Netherlands.
Turkish giants Galatasaray and Dutch champions Ajax were earlier linked with an interest in the Nigerian winger, but he wants to focus on becoming a more productive player.
“I scored 10 goals last season, and I intend to score more next season,” Ejuke had told an online publication.
“My desire is to improve further for the good of my team. Maybe getting into goal-scoring position more will mean dribbling less.
“I want to dribble less and score more. It’s what I intend to do next season. As a player, constant improvement can’t be overruled.”
Ejuke joined Heerenveen from Valerenga last summer for €2 million and has a contract tying him to the Dutch side until 2023.
In spite of his recent rise, Ejuke still rued not able to impress when he went on trials at Liverpool five years ago.
The former Nigerian U-20 starlet spoke of his frustration after failing to seize an opportunity to play for the Anfield outfit.
The forward revealed he was scouted at the age of 18 and went on to have a trial with the Reds but failed to impress at Anfield and had to return to Nigeria disappointed.
The 23-year-old, who shone for Heerenveen during the 2019-20 campaign, revealed the incident has always inspired him to perform better.
When I was just 18-years-old and still living in Nigeria, there was a scouting programme on the other side of the country,” Ejuke told Voetbal.
“I was picked out together with three peers by a scout from England. We were allowed to have a trial at Liverpool. It was the first time that I left my country and then also for an internship in my dream competition.
“We were warmly welcomed at Liverpool. We did an internship there for a few weeks, it went pretty well, but I probably wasn’t good enough.
“Liverpool was not interested and so we had to return to Nigeria. That was just as tough. This was the opportunity I had been dreaming about all these years and if it doesn’t work out, it’s bitter. It felt like I had let down my agent and my family.
“If I had taken that chance, it would have been a different story, but it was a good experience. That missed opportunity became a source of motivation for me and it helped me grow as a player. I had tasted Europe and now I wanted more.”
The forward left Nigeria in 2017 after playing for Gombe United in the NPFFL to start his European career in Norway with Valerenga.
Ejuke made a key impact during his two-year stay with the Intility Arena outfit which saw a number of European clubs jostle for his signature.
The winger, however, signed for Dutch club Heerenveen in the summer of 2019 after snubbing interests from Besiktas, Lazio and Roma.
Ejuke is already on course to surpass the tally of five goals in 25 matches he registered in his debut Russian top flight campaign.
The forward has represented Nigeria at the U-17 and U-20 levels.
The left winger made his debut appearance for the three-time African champions in an international friendly match against Tunisia last October. He replaced Samuel Chukwueze in the encounter that ended in a 1-1 draw in Austria.
