In just 22 years Everton’s Amadou Onana has already lived in five countries. Born in Dakar, Senegal, the midfielder moved to Belgium aged 11 with his mother and sister to join his father in Brussels.
Football was a motivating factor in upping sticks and Onana began his path to a professional career when he began a teenage growth spurt that would take him up to six foot, four inches. He was soon scouted for Anderlecht, and later competed with RWS Bruxelles, Zulte Waregem and 1899 Hoffenheim as a youth player.
He reflected on this early upheaval in an interview with Sky Sports. "It was a big shock, weather-wise, culture-wise, everything," he said. "But obviously I tried to take as much as I can from both countries, both cultures, and just to mix a bit.
"Home is Belgium, home is Brussels; home is wherever the heart is.
"[But] everybody is in Senegal. My grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunties. I try to go back there once a year when I can, when the schedule allows it. It’s still a very important part of me."
His story is a familiar one for Senegal, which has birthed the likes of Patrick Vieira, Sadio Mane and El Hadji Diouf after they relocated to Europe. But Onana possesses a particularly unique ability: he can speak five languages fluently – Wolof [the national language of Senegal], French, Dutch, German and English.
Having signed in August 2022 Onana has been a key player for Everton this season, playing 10 times as the Toffees have picked up 11 points from 11 games.
"I’m enjoying my football," he said. "As you can see I think I’ve been performing quite well lately. The team has been doing very, very well. Results are way better than last season so we’re very happy."
He even netted his second goal for the Merseysiders with a 92nd-minute effort in a 3-0 League Cup win over Burnley.
"[Scoring is] a goal I’ve set for myself because I think that’s the missing part for me to become the player I want to be. That’s definitely something I have to add to my game to become one of the best midfielders in the world.
"[I want to] grow into this team, play as many games as I can. All of them if I can. Perform well and try to help the team as much as I can."
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