England striker Solanke, who played for his country again after seven years on International Match Day this month, looked back fondly on his debut for England and shared his experiences of growing up and the invaluable help he received from his former teammates in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail.
Speaking about his debut in a friendly against Brazil in November 2017, Solanke lamented, "It seems like yesterday, I've been through a lot, I've learned a lot, I've grown a lot both on the ball and mentally. I have become more mature, fulfilled and stronger since my first appearance for England." He admits that he is more excited to return this time around than he was seven years ago because it has always been a dream of his to don the England colours again.
Solanke also reminisced about his stellar experience with England's youth teams at all levels, particularly the moment he won the 2017 U20 World Cup and was honored with the Player of the Year award, proudly stating, "That was one of my greatest accomplishments to date, and I'm looking forward to many more of those accolades in the future. I will continue to work hard for Tottenham, excel for the club and earn more opportunities to play for my country."
During his youth training at Chelsea, Solanke was listed by Mourinho as one of the three youth players most likely to become a top player. In response, he gratefully said: "I feel very happy to be recognized by such a great coach. It does put some pressure on me, but it's more motivation. I remember my experience at Chelsea very well, it was an important stage in my growth."
After leaving Chelsea, Solanke's career has been baptized by Liverpool and Bournemouth. He admits, "There will always be things in life that you can't control, but as long as you keep working hard you will get to where you want to go. I'm a firm believer that everyone's journey is different and that's my mentality."
During his time at Chelsea and Liverpool, Solanke was mentored by seniors such as Didier Drogba and Diego Costa. He said gratefully, "Drogba was my role model at Chelsea, he always scored goals and was the leader of the team. He helped me a lot, especially during training when he would point out my problems and express himself. Diego Costa, on the other hand, is one of the funniest players I've ever met, he has a crazy personality, always joking and playing pranks, and brings a lot of joy to the dressing room. I learned a lot from them."
After joining Tottenham Hotspur, Solanke is under pressure to take Kane's place. He admits, "Pressure is just part of soccer, no matter what club you play for, you need to perform well. At a club like Tottenham, the pressure and expectations always increase, but everyone wants to play for the biggest clubs, so it's a privilege to have the pressure. I hope we can do well in the UEFA Cup and try to get back into the Champions League."
Finally, Solanke said, "I like the way we play and that's one of the reasons I decided to come here. It suits my style of play, I'll be grabbing the ball and hustling on the pitch and it will benefit me a lot. I'm sure I'll be at my best during this journey at Tottenham."
