HOTSHOT Antoine Semenyo is living proof that good things come to those who WEIGHT.
The Bournemouth attacker has taken the Premier League by storm with a flurry of six early-season goals.
And SunSport can now reveal the secret of his success that has seen the wideman moulded into a lean, mean goalscoring machine.
It was a strict diet in his Bristol City days that helped transform him from a cast-off college kid to the Cherries’ prized asset, rated at £75million and attracting the attention of top-flight heavyweights.
Ex-Robins boss Lee Johnson played a key role getting the forward’s career back on track after being rejected following a trial at Saturday’s opponents Crystal Palace.
And Johnson, now managing Belgian side Lommel, has also confirmed he had to fend off Chelsea as Semenyo came through the ranks at Ashton Gate.
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He recalled Semenyo’s astonishing rise and described it to SunSport as “an amazing, Roy of the Rovers type story”.
Johnson was summoned by City technical director Brian Tinnion to run his eye over a trialist who had caught the eye while playing for South Gloucestershire and Stroud College under ex-Leeds boss Dave Hockaday.
And Semenyo made sure to make that first impression really count.
Johnson said: “He turned his marker and a shot from 25 yards thundered against the crossbar.
“It’s fair to say he was a little bit unconditioned and I’m thinking there’s a lot of work to get this kid out of college physically right as we’re pushing for the Premier League.
“But the next ball came in, he touched it with the outside of his left foot and went ‘whack’ with his right foot and it flew into the top corner.
“That made me confident there was enough talent for us to commit to giving him six months to a year of laser focus on all things it takes to be a professional.”
London-born Semenyo, now 25, was soon providing plenty of food for thought.
Johnson added: “The nutritional part was really important. His daily evening meal was chicken and rice, which he liked a lot but we had to take down the rice portion and increase the chicken.
“But there was also the application, understanding what it takes to be a professional, the gym work, the concentration.
“Often you take punts and lads revert to type — they just can’t be that professional but Antoine grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
“He was soon shaping up into a really good player and as he became more lean, it gave him the aerodynamicism to be quick and powerful.
Loan spells
“And you knew the force was there, but it was about co-ordination, training and conditioning the body in order to professionalise him.”
Johnson sent Semenyo out on loan to Bath City and Sunderland but a spell in between at Newport County showed he was a star in the making.
Johnson added: “He was doing so well at Newport that Chelsea showed an interest and came to us with an offer.
“That was a difficult dilemma and we had to battle with Chelsea to actually keep him.
“We had to convince him there was a pathway at Bristol City and ended up giving him a really good contract.
“We also did a lot of work psychologically with him, on going from a low wage and being a sort of up-and-coming gunslinger to being perceived as a top talent.
Working with the parents
“I bet it was 5,000 per cent more than he was originally on but he deserved it because he was one of the highest- potential players in the EFL.”
Johnson worked closely with Semenyo’s mum and dad Vida and Larry who moved from Ghana to Greenwich in the 90s.
And his Ashton Gate mentor said: “Antoine has really good parents and I remember getting them both in because I was more worried about the trappings of football.
“We wanted to make sure that stayed true to who they were and their values.
“There’s a fear the trappings of being a superstar or being on the way to superstardom can mean you get derailed.
“We wanted him to focus on learning and trending in the right direction across all the facets as an athlete.”
World Cup calling
With Semenyo set to represent Ghana at next summer’s World Cup, Johnson reckons that he sets the perfect example for young footballers, especially at his current club Lommel — who are part of the City Football Group.
Johnson added: “Lommel is a great talent hub and we have got four or five players who could quite easily experience the same trajectory as Antoine.
“Antoine can be a fantastic role model to young players that are aiming to achieve big things.
“Loads of people have helped him along the way but it’s always the individual player who needs core motivation.”
‘A kind-hearted kid’
That was clearly the case at Newport where he came of age, netting in a 3-0 win over a Chelsea Under-21s side featuring Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher in 2018.
Ex-Newport goalie Nick Townsend, now at Eastleigh, remembers that Tuesday night Football League Trophy game well.
Townsend said: “I’d sat next to him in our changing room, flipping plastic bottles but what I remember most is that he’s a kind-hearted kid.
“He was raw and, with his thunder foot, when he shot it was either breaking the net or ending up on the M50.
“It was sink or swim and would have been physically and mentally challenging.
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“As for Chelsea, they’re hard nights to get up for when you’re against young lads on far better money with a swagger.
“But you’ve got to be mentally right and for Antoine to be doing it against Chelsea’s best up-and-coming players showed them he’d clearly got something special, which we’re all seeing now.”
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