Youngster Idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo Claims He Plays Like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robert Lewandowski

A Singaporean attacker has said that while Cristiano Ronaldo was the reason he played soccer, he is more like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski when it comes to his skills.

It is not everyday that a relatively young soccer player compares himself to legends in the sport. However, Zikos Vasileios Chua became one of the few after boldly comparing himself to not only one but two soccer superstars – Ibrahimovic and Lewandowski.

Chua has made quite a buzz in Singapore. In the process, he has earned the unique moniker “Singapore's Greek god.” Just like any typical youngster, the 18-year-old was inspired by five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo.

In an exclusive interview with Goal, Chua recalled how Ronaldo played a huge role in his young career. According to Chua, who grew up in Greece, “CR7” has been his idol since childhood and the reason why he decided to play soccer.

“Ever since I can remember, the only thing on my mind was football. That was my biggest interest. I remember in kindergarten in Greece I would play outside the school during recess with my friends and we’d use metal gates of the school as the goal! That’s one of the first experiences that I remember playing football,” Chua explained.

“For me, my childhood idol, and still, was always Cristiano Ronaldo. That’s why I started watching football, it was really everything about him,” he added.

As a Ronaldo fan, Chua stays updated with his idol’s career. But now that he is also making a name for himself, Chua sees that he is more like Ibrahimovic and Lewandowski when it comes to his technique. What’s even more interesting is that the young attacker plans to stick to modeling his game after both legendary strikers.

"His (Ronaldo) style, his confidence, his stance, the dribbling, I think he’s a great prototype as to how a professional footballer should be, because he’s evolved a lot. He has improved, he’s changed through the years. Obviously, everyone talks about his work ethic, which every player should have. But as the years have gone by, I’ve tried to model my game after players who have more similar traits to me, like Zlatan or Lewandowski,” Chua pointed out.

Unless he gets an opportunity to play for Greece, Chua said he is likely to stay in Singapore. At this point, he is still looking to learn from the best players across the globe and is edging ever closer to his comeback after a serious knee injury.