Tai’s aiming high with his goal tally for City
IF Tai Sodje’s dad had his way, the young City striker would be spending his weekends chasing a ball of a different shape.
Sodje Snr enjoyed a professional career playing both rugby league and rugby union and tried to get his son to use his pace as a nippy winger.
From the age of five, Tai always had eyes for football though, particularly scoring goals. More than a decade on, he is still proving exceptionally good at it as part of City’s academy, having moved from Sheffield United at Under-12s level.
Nobody has scored more than Sodje’s 19 so far in the Under-18s Premier League, and he has also managed four assists in his 18 appearances.
There have only been three matches this season where he has failed to contribute to a goal.
“It’s going well so far but I want to be top in the goalscoring chart. It’s not going too bad but I want to get a few more goals,” he told M.E.N. Sport.
“I actually don’t have a favourite kind of goal. I don’t mind if it is a scrappy goal – as long as I’m putting it in the back of the net I don’t mind. I think I’ve scored all my goals in the box this year!
“I’ve been doing extras with [City] coaches after sessions, doing shooting practices - finishing quick, headers, different angles, all different kind of finishing.”
City’s facilities and coaches convinced Sodje and his family to move six years ago, and looking back on it the youngster is very happy with how everything is progressing.
Some time spent playing on the wings has improved him, even if it is as a central striker where he is thriving, while the physical proximity to first-team training helps keep minds focused across the academy.
“I think I’ve opened up to different ways of playing,” he said.
“I’ve played on the wings which has helped make me more versatile.
“I’ve learned different runs and positioning, and different finishing angles because, on the wing, you’re not in the centre of the goal so you’re finishing from a wider angle most of the time when you shoot.
“It does help a lot knowing I feel comfortable playing across the front three.”
If City have helped the player, the player has also helped himself.
Sodje is happy to turn to his dad for advice from his professional rugby career or some of his uncles, who played professional football, to get both the tips needed to improve his game but also the reality checks
Most of us have known each other since the age of 11 so we’ve all got a good bond City youngster
Tai Sodje
that are important at top academies. City Under-18s coach Carlos Vicens believes the striker has developed over the course of the campaign, and his progress has been helped by his attitude on the pitch with his team-mates. The personal aims may be to finish as top goalscorer, and he is working hard to get recognised by England’s youth coaches, but City Under-18s come first as they sit two points behind United with six games to go in the league.
“Most of us have known each other since the age of 11 so we’ve all got a good bond and going into a league for the first time shows how well we can play together,” he said.
“It’s class. We’re aiming to get back to the top of the table. It makes it more competitive because you know every game you’re playing for something.
“When you’re playing friendlies it is competitive but not as competitive as the league because you need to get the points. It’s always in our heads because we know we can do it and we’re a good bunch of players and can get the points to make sure that we can get to the top.”