Manchester United's interest in Patrick Dorjo highlights how quickly the young Danish international is progressing. He only made his debut for first-team football last year, but the Lecce left-back is already keen to take the next step in his career.
Lecce themselves, who are clinging to their Serie A place for the third successive season, included Dorgo in the famed FC Nordsjælland academy before he broke through. There is also, at FCN, a pride and satisfaction in player development.
“Our good scouts spotted him very quickly,” says Alexandre Rigit, their technical director. Sky Sports. It took Reigt and current Norwich City coach Johannes Hof Thorup to make the trip to Jutland to see him. “It's a five-hour drive from here.”
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Melissa Reddy from Sky Sports News talks about the possibility of Dorghu moving to Manchester United
They saw something in Durgu, who was only 12 years old at the time. He played “for one year” in their under-13 team but was not a standout star. “He was always a good player, but he developed very well a little later, at 16 or 17 years old.” Before long, he was gone.
“His journey is a little different than many of our other players. Usually, they play between 50 and 100 games and then leave for a bigger club.” Is this frustrating? “No, we were still a very important part of his journey. We are very happy with where he is at the moment.”
It was difficult. Martin Freeze, who now also plays in Serie A with Verona, has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which has seen him stay at Nordsjæland longer than expected. Daniel Svensson, the 22-year-old Sweden international, is still with the club now.
“The path into that position has been a little longer than usual, so I think the step Patrick made was the right one. Most of our players will come through the first team but the reason we exist is to develop talent. If they take a position the other way, we'll still be proud.”
Rigit speaks warmly about the Dorjo family. His two brothers, one playing for Genoa and the other a goalkeeper in the Danish lower league. His sister plays handball. Their Nigerian-born parents supported them all the way and encouraged their education.
This is essential in Nordsjæland, where great emphasis is placed on education and character development. “It means a lot to us.” Talent is the main reason other clubs look to Nordsjæland for players, but the mentality of its graduates is also important.
“I think he and his family were the main reason he is where he is now, but through our program we can say we have facilitated Patrick's development. We give them a very solid football education but a big part of it is educating the players off the field.
“Always focused.”
“Patrick is definitely coachable. He's a very good listener. He's not a guy who talks a lot. He's quite silent and you have to be a little patient when you ask questions because he's a thinker, so he needs that.” Start before he says something.
“But he is a very determined player. He has always focused on being better. He is a real player.” soccer player. You know how it is nowadays with young players, they also have other interests, like watching things on their iPads, playing FIFA, doing other things, social media.
“Patrick? Go back and look at his social media for that kind of stuff. There's not a lot. He played football with his brothers. Every time we were there for a training session, after it was over, I couldn't get him off the pitch, he just wanted to play.” .
“The other thing that says a lot about him is that I can't remember him being injured since he started with Nordsjælland. That's seven years in a row, which is very unusual. Of course, I think that also says something about how he copes.” “His body.”
That physicality has become an important aspect of Dorgu's game when asked to get up and down the wing against Lecce. “He enters the penalty area, reaches for crosses, and this is linked to his physical abilities, which have certainly developed in recent years,” says Reigt.
“But he was always a good runner. He could cover a lot of distances and do it with high intensity. When he played for Nordsjæland, we got reports from trackers and he was often one of the best and highest players.” Physical numbers.”
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The Transfer Talk panel discusses whether Dorgu could fit into Ruben Amorim's system
“Very flexible”
This helps explain why Manchester United have earmarked him for this specialist full-back role. “He can play in many positions but we always had the idea that he would become a full-back or a full-back. He is perfectly suited to that position,” explains Reigt.
“But I think he's a player who can cover a lot of positions. When he was a young player, I had a game where he played as a striker, he played as a midfielder, as a left winger and as a defender.” “So he has a lot of flexibility and that fits well with modern football.”
Character, toughness, fitness and flexibility. But can he play? definitely. Dorgu can beat the opponent by rushing towards the sideline or even cutting inside and firing a shot when playing from the right flank. There is a belief that he can handle the next step.
“With his technical level in small areas, I think it is very difficult to put him under pressure because he is very calm on the ball and very good in tight spaces. He is also good at dribbling as well. Keeping the ball away from the opponent's goal. Footwork is his trademark.”
Dorgo, Lecce's left-back, has made more touches inside the penalty area than any other defender in Serie A
“A good teammate”
In Nordsjæland, they still have an interest in its progress. There is a condition of sale. “We reached an agreement with Lecce when he transferred. Of course, we are curious about how things will go with him.” But not just because of the money. “Because he's one of us.”
“Since his move to Italy, he has returned to the club several times. He is still a very good teammate to many of his friends in the 2004 age group. I see him in our facility, watching training from the window wanting to spend time with his old friends,” adds Rigit.
“We try to support him and our door is always open. He will always be part of our club. Maybe he will return to Nordsjæland after being abroad for many years. But with the amount of money we are talking about here, it will not be that way for long.”
Dorgo has been praised for his physical fitness, flexibility and strength
Dorjo's adventure has only just begun, and his two seasons in Serie A were just the beginning for the boy who was spotted on Gotland eight years ago. For a man who has taken such a wild ride, there's no reason to believe that the evolution in Dorgu's game is likely to stop anytime soon.
“Look at his development in Lecce and Nordseiland before that. I think it's that character that we talked about, the way he carries himself, how strong he is from a psychological perspective, not getting pulled in different directions, always focused.
“I think if you see what he's been able to do over the last two years, I think it would be wrong to say he can't achieve more because I think his progress has been very impressive. I think he's going to become a top-level player. Professionalism at the highest level.”
