Revealed: How Lionel Messi & Ronaldinho inspired £56m Man City new boy Jeremy Doku and his dancing feet

The Belgium international winger is becoming a superstar in his own right, with a £56 million (£68m) transfer to Premier League champions Manchester City completed during the summer transfer window. Doku is now plying his trade on the grandest of stages, with it no surprise to find that he looked to two South American legends for inspiration when mastering the art of dribbling that allows him to terrorise opposition defences.

Doku has told City’s official club magazine of those he holds in the highest regard: “As a kid, I never had anyone’s poster on my wall. I used to have players I loved to watch – Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho – players who were brilliant dribblers. I learned to dribble on my own – I was always outside, playing with a football practising – but nowadays, you see kids do that less and less and you don’t see as many kids playing on the street with a ball any more. They maybe play, but in their home or garden and I don’t think that’s good because I learned on the street against other kids. Street football was where I honed my skills.”

Doku has now reached the very top of the game and is looking forward to working with another modern day great at City – fellow countryman Kevin De Bruyne. He added on the midfield maestro: “Kevin’s a top player and a legend for Belgian people and for everyone who loves football, I think. We are very happy and proud to have him represent our country. I think the first time we spoke was when I played in the national team with him for the first time and he just said when he gives me the ball -and if I’m in a zone where I was one-on-one with a defender - just go! He also assisted my first goal for the national team. I can’t wait, and I know I will learn a lot from him. I’ve enjoyed playing alongside Kevin for Belgium and I will enjoy playing alongside him with City. He can provide an assist from anywhere on the pitch which means I’ll score more goals. I can’t wait to line-up with him again and like everyone at City, I hope he recovers quickly.”

De Bruyne is currently nursing a hamstring injury, which will keep him out for several months, but Doku has settled quickly at City without a familiar face by his side. He netted his first goal for the club in a Premier League clash with West Ham and continues to compete with the likes of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish for regular game time on the left side of Pep Guardiola’s attacking unit.