Izuchukwu OkosiTwo-time winner of the FIFA World Cup and Brazil legend Ronaldo has leapt to the defense of Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus whom critics have picked put for his goal scoring record this season.
The Brazilian copped an injury in Brazil’s 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their last Group G game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and has been ruled out for some months after undergoing a surgery in London.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelJesus whose contributions have in no small means helped the Gunners to the top of the Premier League table have not scored a goal in a competitive game since October but his general play has been impactful.
“Criticism can either be constructive or destructive in one’s life. Words have the power to lift up and tear down,” Ronaldo wrote on his verified Instagram account on Wednesday.
‘’Sometimes the same ones that boost one discourage another. Therefore, it is important to be careful what we say. But, above all, what we listen to,” Ronaldo said while backing his countryman who has gone 14 games without finding the back of the net.
‘’We can’t control what others will say, and will live in dark times of normalisation of hate speech. But we can filter what comes into our ears. Let your self-image, Gabriel Jesus, not be based on what others say,” the onetime FIFA Player of the Year award winner stated.
‘‘May you never forget where you came from because the boy who had the dream of being a player didn’t take an easy path, full of opportunities and privileges.
‘‘The boy did the impossible. The ‘impossible’ extraordinary. He left the Peri Garden to conquer the world. He won several titles, Copa America champion and was decisive in the first achievement of the Tite era. Olympic champion, fundamental in Brazil’s Gold.
Ronaldo affectionately called ‘The Phenomenal’ highlighted Jesus’s Premier League impact since his arrival in England.
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‘‘He’s the Brazilian with the highest averaging goals in Premier League history. While many insist on comparing trajectories to disqualify an athlete, I’m here today to remind you that your story is unique.
“You came to the national team with a lot of merit and I hope you still shine bright with your football. May you overcome what needs to be overcome, may you face what needs to be faced, may you continue to believe in your dreams because they are the ones that brought you here. Get well soon!’
Arsenal, without the striker will return to competitive action on Boxing Day against West Ham, while Brazil have made it to the World Cup quarter-finals where they will face Croatia on Friday.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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