Victor Osimhen, now a household name in European football and a leader in the Super Eagles squad, has opened up on his painful childhood experiences growing up in Olusosun, Lagos, Footynaija.com reports.
The Galatasaray striker reflected on the challenges he faced before fame, revealing how poverty, tragedy, and street survival shaped the fighter he is today.
Fresh from sealing a €75 million permanent move to Galatasaray after a record-breaking loan spell that saw him bag 37 goals in 41 games last season, Osimhen took a different kind of spotlight as he revisited the neighbourhood where his journey began.
“I spent most of my childhood in Olusosun,” Osimhen said, recalling the struggles that still echo in his memory.
“It was a life I wouldn’t wish on anyone, not even my worst enemy.”
The 26-year-old forward, who first caught attention after winning the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, went on to play for Wolfsburg, Charleroi, Lille, Napoli and now Galatasaray. But even with that success, he remains grounded in the raw lessons of survival from Lagos.
“A lot of them know me; they know how my family lived, especially after my mother passed away. I made it out of what I feel is more than just trenches,” he said in a a video posted on YouTube by Instablog9jaTV.
The Nigerian striker believes in returning home to inspire. For Osimhen, a visit to Olusosun is a personal mission to encourage children who are currently walking the same paths he once did.
“I want them to know there’s hope in everything,” he said. “You just have to keep believing, keep praying mostly for grace and protection from God, and keep working hard at what you do best. I believe God will always come through.”
He stressed that his transformation from selling sachet water in Lagos traffic to becoming Africa’s most expensive player in Turkish football is proof that dreams can be realised with faith, grit, and focus.
“So you have to fight to achieve whatsoever you want to achieve; it depends on how you want to rule your life. This has been the exact point,” he added.