Everton striker Oumar Niasse stands out as a great example of how people should deal with adversity in their lives.
Oumar Niasse has been through a lot, during his time at Everton. If there’s one player who had more reason than most to celebrate the sacking of Ronald Koeman, it’s him.
Koeman at times showed little respect for Niasse, during his 16 months as manager on Merseyside. Based on just 45 minutes of action during pre-season, the Dutchman told the striker he wasn’t good enough for the first team and said he should leave Everton.
As if that wasn’t enough, Koeman took away Niasse’s shirt number and made his train with the Under-23 team. On top of all this, the 27-year-old didn’t even have a locker.
As we all know, Niasse eventually made a storybook return to the first team, highlighted by scoring two late goals to help the Blues beat Bournemouth. Still, it’s fair to say Koeman’s treatment of him was disgraceful.
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However, it you were looking for the Senegalese international to be happy about his former manager being sacked, you’d be wrong. He is actually one of the most classy people you will ever come across, both in and out of the world of professional football.
Niasse hold no grudge towards Koeman. This speaks volumes about the young man.
The former Lokomotiv Moscow player said he actually felt bad about what happened to Koeman. As reported by Rory O’Callaghan of Sky Sports, he said:
"“I feel sorry for him, what happened to him when the club got rid of him.”"
As if this isn’t impressive enough, Niasse even thanked the former Barcelona player for resurrecting his Everton career. Again reported by O’Callaghan, he said:
"“I said thank you to him because he could have said ‘no, you are staying with the U23s’ but when I came back he brought me back to the team. That has allowed me to be here today.”"
It was already easy to cheer on Niasse. Now though, he’s likely to become even more popular, both among Evertonians and football supporters in general.
Niasse came to Everton with a reputation for having an excellent work rate, pace and strength. Here’s hoping he can fulfill his potential and guide the Blues to safety in the Premier League.
Next: Blues not giving up on Marco Silva
What did you take away from Niasse’s comments regarding Koeman? Further, what kind of future do you predict for the striker at Everton? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.