Young talent Raymond Asante has revealed the influence of football legend Cristiano Ronaldo in his decision to don the shirt number 77 at Udinese for the upcoming 2023/24 season.
The 19-year-old, who earned his place in the First Team after an impressive stint with Udinese's Primavera team last season, expressed his admiration for Ronaldo as he explained the reasoning behind his jersey choice.
"Actually, my preferred number is the iconic 7, but that's already claimed by someone else, so I had no alternative but to go with 77. This number holds a significant meaning for me because of my role model, Cristiano Ronaldo," Asante disclosed to GHANASoccernet.com.
While discussing the parallels between his playing style and that of Ronaldo, Asante humbly declined to elaborate on his own qualities. Instead, he set his sights on emulating the remarkable achievements of his idol throughout his career.
''Do I play like him? I can't talk about my qualities but the target is to do what what he has been able to achieve in his career.''
Currently nursing a shoulder injury, Asante will unfortunately miss the commencement of the season. However, his recovery progress is reported to be swift, boding well for his return to the field in the near future.