Stade de Reims boss Will Still has told Folarin Balogun to draw inspiration from Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry after the youngster missed an important penalty against Nice on Saturday.
The on-loan Arsenal striker stepped up to give his side the lead from 12-yards just 10 minutes into the second-half but he was denied by Kasper Schmeichel. Reims, who have enjoyed a great vein of form recently, were held to a goalless draw with neither side able to break the deadlock.
Had Balogun converted his spot-kick, he would have distanced himself from Jonathan David and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Ligue 1 golden boot. The England and United States youth international currently shares top-spot with the aforementioned duo on 15 goals.
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After the Reims clash, Still rushed to Balogun's defence and offered the striker some words of advice. He said: "He's very disappointed.
"Very, very disappointed, but it happens, and I told him at the end of the match that It's not the end of the world. The best players in the world, be it Zinedine Zidane or Thierry Henry have missed a penalty at some point.
"It's part of football," the Reims boss added. "It's a detail and one that we'll try to correct. He's the first to recognize that, and he expects a lot of himself, and he wants to score goals. But it's nothing too serious."
Balogun has been turning heads this season as he continues to impress in the French top-flight. And, naturally, an international call-up could be on the cards very soon. But first, he must decide between England, the US and Nigeria.
The 21-year-old, who sees his contract at the Emirates Stadium expire in 2025, has featured for both the Three Lions and the US at youth level. Speaking to L'Equipe in October last year, Balogun said that he would consider all three countries and confirmed that he's keeping an open mind.
"Just like my future at club level, I am not closing any doors regarding international selection," the Arsenal youngster said. "All options remain open.
"Above everything, I feel English, but I also have an American side, because I have family in New York and I love going there. I have my grandmother and cousins in Lagos, even if I haven’t been there since I was very young. My mother sometimes speaks to me in Yoruba and it is important to me."
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