City hero Dzeko inspired Dons hitman
SAM COSGROVE says looking up to his Manchester City hero Edin Dzeko has helped him hit the heights with Aberdeen.
He used to regularly watch the big Bosnian, who is now at Roma, when he was with his beloved City to see what he could pick up and add to his game.
Cosgrove, who has 15 goals in his last 14 games, still watches some of his favourite fellow targetmen to see where he can aid his development.
He said: “As a kid, until I really started watching football, I liked Michael Owen for his goalscoring prowess. Being a Man City fan I liked Dzeko for his goalscoring but he was also a big guy.
“He’s a very talented footballer and can do everything for a big man. It’s not just him I look at.
“I’m watching football every time it’s on, watching movement habits in the box, goal-poaching techniques. I’m looking at the taller strikers for their movement, how they peel off to win as many headers as possible.
“Diego Costa is a rough-andtumble player and another one who goes under the radar is Salomon Rondon who’s a very talented player. Some of the stuff Olivier Giroud does technically is brilliant for a guy his size.”
The 22-year-old may have all the attributes of a traditional big, strong striker but it wasn’t always his game when he was coming BY SCOTT BURNS through the ranks at Everton and Wigan. He was coached in the traditional academy style and it was more about pass and move before he went to Carlisle and their then manager Keith Curle started to toughen him up.
Cosgrove said: “I came through youth systems where the ball was always on the floor so even as a big guy growing up I was never really used as a proper targetman.
“Going to Carlisle and the rough and tumble of League Two was a massive shock with big brutes going through the back and smashing me.
“It was a harsh wake-up call that there’s a different side of football that needs to be sorted before you can get the ball down and play.
“I agreed with Keith Curle when he said I wasn’t up to the physical demands of it. But I got used to it and coming up to Scotland made me realise it was quite a big asset.”
That helped accustom him for the Premiership. He said: “Playing Motherwell is always a test as they have three top-class defenders who complement each other.
“Joe Shaughnessy at St Johnstone is another who is a big guy but he is also a tidy player on the floor so he’s definitely hard to play against.
“Scott McKenna always batters me in training but a prime example is Alfredo Morelos who got sent off up here the other week. He does play on the edge but he’s a strong boy and his hold-up play is really good.”
Cosgrove had only scored one senior goal before this season and until December had only two for the Dons.
He said: “The one thing for me is finding that extra sharpness in and around the box. It’s a case of being in the right position at the right time that’s helped give me that instinctive edge.”
Rotherham were sniffing about in January and boss Derek McInnes admits a lot of English clubs will be on his striker’s trail.
Cosgrove said: “Interest is nice to hear but I was always fully focused as I recently signed a new deal and I’m happy at Aberdeen.
“It’s a massive club and it will be really good for me to stay here.”