‘He was always in a good mood’ - Belgian star speaks on Osimhen’s character, claims he is more than a goalscorer

Osimhen arrived in Belgium in 2018 at a career crossroads. After bursting onto the scene by scoring ten goals to lead Nigeria to the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup title, his star began to fade at Wolfsburg. 

Despite a failed medical, Charleroi took a gamble on him, signing him on loan with an option to buy. By the middle of the season, Charleroi wisely exercised their €3.5 million purchase option. 

Osimhen went on to score 20 goals and provide four assists in 36 appearances, securing a club-record €23 million transfer to Lille in 2019.

Osimhen's character, his humility, humour, and infectious joy, left a lasting impression on his former teammate.

"The strongest image I have of Victor is his smile and his zest for life," Hendrickx said. "He would dance and sing in the locker room, he was always in a good mood, he never complained.

“He was very open, polite, and attentive. He was also a very grateful, humble guy: he never got a big head or thought he was something he wasn’t."

"I haven’t heard from him in a while, but I’m sure that if I were to run into him tomorrow, he wouldn’t have changed one bit and would say hello to everyone. He’s truly a great guy."

Since his time in Belgium, Osimhen has established himself as one of the world's elite forwards. 

After a successful spell in France with Lille, he moved to Napoli, where he won the Serie A title and became one of Europe's most lethal and valuable strikers.