Football
Adriana Garcia 6y

Ryan Sessegnon more like Real Madrid's Marcelo than Gareth Bale - Jokanovic

Fulham coach Slavisa Jokanovic has likened teenager Ryan Sessegnon to Real Madrid left-back Marcelo.

Sessegnon, 18, helped Fulham reach the Championship playoff final, scoring as they beat Derby County in the semifinals on Monday. Some have compared him to Real Madrid's Gareth Bale who, like Sessegnon, made his Championship debut at 16 when at Southampton.

"He can play in two positions, as left-back or at left wing, and that is why he is being compared to Bale," Jokanovic told Cadena Ser radio.

"Bale also started in that position before he made the switch to become a more attacking player. From my point of view, Sessegnon can play in different roles but I honestly think he could be more like an offensive back of a big team, like Marcelo.

"He has no physical resemblance to Marcelo but he is a player that can cover a lot of ground, needs space and can attack that space. I'm using him in the position that I am, but he can perfectly cover two positions."

Sessegnon, Fulham's leading scorer with 16 goals and seven assists in 48 league appearances, won the Championship Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.

An under-19 European Champion with England last year, he is tied to Fulham until 2020 but is a reported target for both Manchester United and Tottenham.

"He is an incredible player and I personally believe he will end up at a big club," Jokanovic said. "We shall see.

"Many young players in England have gone very early in their careers to big teams and they don't find any space. He opted to stay in the Championship and has a lot of experience in the tournament. I think he has done the right thing."

^ Back to Top ^