Player Analysis: Bright Osayi-Samuel

Right-footed right-wingers are a bit of a dying breed in football these days. The current generation of young footballers grew up watching the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben cut in from their weak side and curl a shot to the far post; it’s almost become an expectation that wingers play on the opposite side of their strong foot. But in QPR’s Bright Osayi-Samuel, we are reminded more of a Premier League winger from the early 2000s whose first instinct is to cross rather than cut in towards the center.

Born in Okija, Nigeria, the 23-year-old already has over 100 league appearances for QPR under his belt. From watching just a few minutes of his highlights you can tell what he’s about as a player: purposeful dribbling, crossing, and finishing. He’s a practical winger. Like most wide players, he possesses pace and flair in abundance, but there's something about his movement with the ball that separates him from your average winger.

His signature move, the stepover, almost always sends defenders the wrong way, clearing his path for a cross or shot towards the goal. If the defender guesses the right way, Osayi-Samuel’s superb ability on his weak foot enables him to step-over again, and again, and again. Even with his back to the goal in his own half, you know that he will be able to evade his marker and begin another blistering run towards the goal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOgia3djLxc