Former Real Sociedad B team prospect Ander Gorostidi Garcia has labelled towering Super Eagles and Real Sociedad hitman Umar Sadiq the “most surprising” opponent he has faced in his career, Footynaija.com reports.
Gorostidi and Sadiq both share an affiliation with Real Sociedad although the two players happened to be on the books of the Basque Country side at separate points in the history of the club.
Ander Gorostidi spent four years (2016-2020) in Real Sociedad’s B team setup. During this time, he made 88 appearances and scored 11 goals but the Spaniard just never managed to break into La Real’s first team before finally transferring to Alcorcon.
It was during Gorostidi’s time at Alcorcon that he encountered Sadiq, who was at the time, making a name for himself as one of the hottest goalscorers around Spain’s second division in Almeria colours.
Reflecting on that encounter in a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Gorostidi, who has since joined Primera Federacion side Gimnastic de Tarragona acknowledged Sadiq’s superiority to the rest of the players at that level.
What Ander Gorostidi said about Umar Sadiq
“Outside of Real Sociedad, many have surprised me. But the one who has surprised me the most has been Umar Sadiq,” Gorostidi said.
“I played against him when I was playing for Alcorcon and I thought he was far superior to everyone; he had a level at another level.
“He played very easily. He was a star. He’s the one who has surprised me the most as an opponent.”
Umar Sadiq’s struggles at Real Sociedad
Ironically, Umar Sadiq left Almeria for Real Sociedad in 2022 but the Super Eagles striker has struggled to recapture that rich vein of form that left Gorostidi in awe a few years back.
Sadiq’s first season was interrupted by a nasty injury that sidelined him for the whole campaign while his second season saw him return just three goals in 36 appearances, prompting Real Sociedad to send him on loan to Valencia for the second half of the 24/25 season.
While he managed to show glimpses of that fantastic player that caught the eye in Almeria colours during his brief loan spell at Valencia, it remains uncertain whether he will get another chance to prove himself to the Basque Country club faithful.