OPINION
Ambition is an essential ingredient in every successful football player, it propels them to new heights and helps nurture their god-given talent.
And while there is no doubt that being ambitious is a positive trait to have, there is such a thing as setting yourself up for a fall.
It appears that is what West Ham United midfielder Felipe Anderson has done with his latest comments. The Brazilian recently told the Evening Standard that he wants to carve out the same reputation for himself at the London Stadium as Paulo Di Canio did at Upton Park.
“I saw him many times and knew his importance there [Lazio] and here. I want to follow in his steps, play like him and earn a reputation like him. He was a great player and I want to follow that,” he said.
There’s nothing wrong with shooting for the stars, of course, but Anderson saying that he wants to follow in Di Canio’s footsteps after a few months at West Ham is akin to an art student proclaiming themselves the next Pablo Picasso after a couple of lectures on Cubism.
The likelihood of Anderson reaching the dizzying heights of Di Canio is extremely slim. The former Lazio man has made a fine start to his Hammers career, but he doesn’t possess the ability to take over games in the way the Italian did.
Grand proclamations are not what a new signing needs in the formative stages of their career at a new club. Instead they should focus on knuckling down and carving out a role for themselves in the first team.
In this modern age of football it is sadly far more likely that Anderson excels for a year or two in East London before demanding a move away from the club, a la Dimitri Payet.
That might seem like a pessimistic way of looking at things but it’s true. A player of Anderson’s talent will inevitably view themselves as being worthy of a grander stage than the London Stadium, making his chances of replicating Di Canio slim.
The Italian was a once in a generation talent who found the perfect match at West Ham. Anderson has made a bright start to his Hammers career, but he’s dooming himself to fail with this talk of replicating Di Canio.
