NONI MADUEKE must be well-used to the critics by now.
Be they Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who called out his application in training at times last season before selling him to Arsenal this summer.
Or the Gunners supporters who cruelly voiced on social media how underwhelmed they were by the winger’s £48million capture in July.
Or indeed England boss Thomas Tuchel who said on Saturday that Madueke sometimes “falls asleep” after England’s 2-0 victory over Andorra.
But, according to a coach who knows the England winger best, it is all “water off a duck’s back” and the “mentality monster” mindset of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo will soon help him win over the Emirates doubters.
Saul Isaksson-Hurst has been Madueke’s private individual coach for the last four years and joined the 23-year-old Londoner in Spain for off-season training.
He told SunSport: “The big misconception about Noni is his mentality.
“He’s like a mentality monster. In terms of mentality, I would liken that to Cristiano.
“He’s so focused and driven in terms of wanting to be the best and wanting to improve.
“We’ve been away in Marbella for five or six days. I’ve had to force him to have a day off and take a rest in between.
“He wants to work, he wants to do more, he wants to do the extras.
“When his peers are partying around the beach clubs in Marbella, he’s on the grass, training with me every day.
“I can only comment on what I see when he trains with me.
“I haven’t seen him when he’s with Chelsea, but when he’s been with me, he’s switched on, he works hard, he’s on it.”
Of criticism of Madueke’s signing from some Gunners fans, Isaksson-Hurst said: “That’s water off a duck’s back.
“He takes that on board and it’s part of the game. That is not going to faze him and he wants to be a success there.
“Arsenal fans will come to love him, I’m sure. It’s close to the family home so he’s settled.
“Arsenal’s a massive club and Noni wants to be one of the best players in the world.”
Isaksson-Hurst, 48, has been a coach for 22 years and set up his business working as a bespoke, individual coach to players long before it became a common practice.
Much of his intensive work is done during the off-season.
But he also works with clients such as Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Monaco striker Flo Balogun during the campaign to supplement club training.
Madueke first came to Isaksson-Hurst in 2021 when he was at PSV Eindhoven.
They work on position-specific training, working on one-v-one duels, breaking lines and his end product of passes, crosses and shots.
Madueke told SunSport of his admiration for Ronaldo — who is still going strong at 40 — while on England Under-21 duty in 2021.
He said: “I have the drive to be the best. I’m the type to get angry if I am not.
“To be a great player, you have to have it. Ronaldo epitomises it. I grew up a Man Utd fan and used to watch him.”
Read the full article here