“You just have to provide yourself with the means to do it. It’s not always possible. As a striker, there are tougher times when you score less goals, but you just need to keep on working and be confident.”
Last season, Dortmund bowed out in the quarter-finals after losing to Barcelona 5-3 on aggregate, but not before Guirassy could almost single-handedly give the Catalan side a fright with a perfect hat-trick to underline his credentials as one of the best in the business.
A delightful Panenka penalty with his right foot, a header from close range and an emphatic left-footed finish from 10 yards out – Guirassy proved that you just can’t afford to let your concentration slip while he’s on the prowl. Especially inside the box, where all 13 of his goals came from last term – which comes as no surprise when you learn who his biggest idols in the game were growing up.
“I watched a lot of (Karim) Benzema, (Robert) Lewandowski, and even Harry Kane. They’re players who can do everything. The Brazilian Ronaldo, ‘R9’ was among the other great forwards, too. Even though I don’t love their playing style, you had the likes of (Didier) Drogba, and even before that, (Filippo) Inzaghi, (Andriy) Shevchenko. They were all great forwards,” he says.
“I liked all the best players, Samuel Eto’o, who I watched a lot of. I also watched (Diego) Milito – that’s going way back – as well as (Hernán) Crespo. Honestly, there are so many. David Villa, too.”
But it’s not just about being able to put the ball in the back of the net; all those great to a man also possessed an enviable ability to change with the demands of an evolving game.
“Football has changed, and just ten years ago it was different. The position now requires way more quality. When you look at the likes of Benzema or even Harry Kane, they’re able to get involved in the build-up play. You need them to do that sometimes because whenever you’re playing for a strong side, the opposition defence tends to sit very deep.
“It means that having these types of players is key to breaking down those blocks, through getting assists or linking up the play. Each player has their own style of play. If you watch Erling Haaland, he’s a totally different player than Benzema, but he’s always scoring goals. Everyone has their own style. As long as that style works, it can’t be criticised.”
Dortmund’s No9 may have been late to the party, but he has undeniably proved he belongs within that bracket of lethal forwards feared across the continent. It’s been a slower start this season with three goals in six games, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned in the last 12 months, it’s that you can’t afford to take your eyes off Serhou Guirassy.
