Leicester City new signing Patson Daka has described Jamie Vardy as one of the players he looks up to, having been an ardent follower of the club since their Premier League success in 2016.
The 22-year-old who moved to England on a five-year deal from RB Salzburg is looking forward to learning and playing alongside the England international who has ended the last six league seasons as the Foxes' top scorer.
Wednesday's switch comes as a new challenge for Daka who clinched the top scorer prize in the Austrian Bundesliga last season with 27 goals in 28 matches.
The Zambia international disclosed his admiration for Vardy’s qualities and his readiness to make a statement in ‘one of the best leagues in the world’.
“I have been following Leicester from the time they won the Premier League,” Daka told the club’s website. “I follow their games and their playing style. Jamie Vardy is one of the players I look up to because of his playing style and the qualities that he has.
“I’m so excited to be able to have this opportunity to be next to him and to learn from him. It’s just a privilege for me. The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world. I have been preparing for this challenge and I know it’s not going to be easy, but no one said it’s going to be easy!”
Since he left Zambia’s Kafue Celtic in 2017, Daka has spent the last four years in Austria where he made a name for himself with his goalscoring abilities and he won the league title four times in a row.
Ahead of the new adventure in England, the 2017 Caf Young Player of the Year acknowledged he needs to quickly find his feet in Brendan Rodgers’ squad where he will link up with Ghana's Daniel Amartey, Nigeria duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi.
“I have to make [my playing style] suit [the team]! I have to adapt to the environment. I didn’t suit this environment where I was before at first, but I had to make it work,” he continued.
“In the Premier League, I have to know what I have to do to make it easy for me. My playing style depends on the situation of the game and the kind of opponents I’m playing against. It’s something that I love to do, scoring goals. It’s just a different feeling. As a striker, it’s what is expected from me.”