“I’m creating the future today”

Before sealing his £23 million move to Leicester City, the Zambia striker sat down with World Soccer to talk about his journey so far...

How would you describe yourself as a footballer? What would you say are your best attributes?

I think my best attributes are my speed, my intelligence in reading the game and the movements that I make with and without the ball. It’s also that killer instinct that I always try to improve. It’s not yet perfect, but I just try to improve it every day because the final product has to be good. If I have these things, like speed and good movement, I need to finish off the good movement that I’ve made.

Which players did you admire or look up to when you were getting into football? My first inspiration was my father, may his soul rest in peace. He was the person who exposed me to football because he was a player as well. I spent most of my time with him, watching his games and his training. If I wasn’t in school, then I was watching football.

Apart from my father, there have been a lot of players I’ve looked up to. Most of them were Zambians because I wasn’t yet exposed to European football, but I remember looking at players like Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Chicharito, looking at how I can help myself by watching what they do.

You moved to Red Bull Salzburg in 2017. How did the opportunity come about?

My agent, [Fredi] Kanoute, identified me when I was playing at the Under-17 Africa Cup in Niger in 2015. I was looking forward to coming to Europe, but I didn’t expect it to happen when it did. Before I went to Austria, I had opportunities to visit clubs in other countries – Espanyol in Spain, Lille in France and Academica de Coimbra in Portugal – but it didn’t work out.

I wasn’t sure the chance would come again, but it did. I was with the national team in

Zimbabwe, about to go to a game, when I received a phone call from my agent to say I had to go to Austria for a trial. It was an awkward moment for me because I was focusing on going to the game, but

I told myself: “This is the opportunity that I have been praying for, and it’s here now, so let me go and see how it works out.”

Red Bull saw something special in me that the other clubs didn’t see. They gave me the opportunity.

You were just a teenager when you moved to Austria. How different was life there, and did it take a while to get used to it? When I arrived in Austria, I was alone in a foreign country – not used to the culture, to the weather. It was difficult for me to adapt, especially to the weather, because I wasn’t used to the cold. But when I arrived, I was staying at the Red Bull academy. The people there who were educating us and taking care of us were really amazing. They made life so easy for me. Even if I was far away from home, I felt like I was home.

Did it help when Enock Mwepu, another young Zambian player who you know very well, joined Salzburg too?

I came and then six months or so later he came on trial. I just had to help him and to push him so that he could do his best and he could stay so we could be together! It was a really big plus for me to have not just another Zambian, but someone who I have grown up with – we’ve been friends since 2013 or so.

Red Bull Salzburg have had a lot of success in developing young players, and quite a few from Africa as you mentioned. Why do you think that is? The club has a unique way of dealing with young talent. It gives opportunities to young talents, regardless of where they come from. It’s easy for a young player, from Africa or wherever, because most of the players are young, so you don’t have that shyness or feeling of hiding behind big players. You just have players who are trying to get better and make a big step in their careers. Everyone is hungry, everyone is pushing, so you get that extra motivation. It makes it easier for anyone to come and settle in.

It’s just a good club for a player to start from: players like [Sadio] Mane, Naby Keita, [Takumi] Minamino and [Erling] Haaland have all played for Red Bull. They were all exposed to big competitions and they have ended up joining bigger clubs afterwards. It’s a very good club for every young talent.

How would you describe Salzburg’s philosophy and playing style?

It’s very intense. You need to be clever. There is a lot of intensity, so it involves a lot of running. It’s not really a club for lazy people! You need to be ready to play for the club; you have to understand the philosophy and what the coach wants.

How do you think your game has developed and improved over the time you’ve been at Salzburg?

When I first arrived it was difficult for me to adapt to the system. It was a very big change for me to find a team that plays with a lot of intensity, so I just tried to ask as many questions as I could. My first season wasn’t very good because I was still trying to adapt to the football and also the weather – it was very difficult to play when my feet were so cold!

But because of the environment and the people, the coaches and players, they helped me develop. They always make videos to show