Luis Muriel looks back over his career, why he’s found his form at Sampdoria, comparisons with Ronaldo and “the cross I bear is my weight.”
The Colombian striker has been painfully inconsistent during his Serie A career, never quite making the big step up, but recent form has earned him strong links with Inter for next season.
“I came to Europe very early, when I was only 18 years old, and I frankly didn’t expect it then,” Muriel told the Lega Serie A site.
Luis Muriel looks back over his career, why he’s found his form at Sampdoria, comparisons with Ronaldo and “the cross I bear is my weight.”
The Colombian striker has been painfully inconsistent during his Serie A career, never quite making the big step up, but recent form has earned him strong links with Inter for next season.
“I came to Europe very early, when I was only 18 years old, and I frankly didn’t expect it then,” Muriel told the Lega Serie A site.
“At Lecce I had my first big Serie A campaign, playing alongside my friend Juan Cuadrado, and we did some good things. We’ve still got a strong friendship.
“It was at Lecce that people started comparing me to Ronaldo and they say we’ve got similar movements, but these are what others tell me. I just want to be myself and being compared to Ronaldo is a big responsibility to bear.”
His move to Udinese and work with Coach Francesco Guidolin was tense after he arrived for pre-season training overweight.
“Ever since Guidolin said I was not playing because I was fat, this label has stuck with me. It’s a cross I bear. When things are going well, nobody talks about my weight, but the moment there are bad results everyone seeks blame.
“At Sampdoria I feel really happy. I have a house that faces the sea, so every morning I wake up with positive energy to start the day.
“I also finally have consistency and I know the Coach has faith in me.”