QPR's Bright Osayi-Samuel - the winger who rejected Manchester United but is heading for the top flight
Life changed for Bright Osayi-Samuel when, aged 16, he was playing football at a park in Woolwich.
He had been turned away at Charlton Athletic and performed poorly in a trial game at Norwich City, finding himself sobbing on the train back to south-east London, hoping that another opportunity in professional football would come.
It came in the form of Manchester United scout, John McNab, who saw Osayi-Samuel’s raw potential on that playing field, a world away from the perfectly manicured Premier League training pitches where Osayi-Samuel is now heading.
McNab wanted Osayi-Samuel at United but he was also friends with Richie Kyle at Blackpool. After discussions with his parents, it was decided there was a better chance of playing senior football at Bloomfield Road rather than Old Trafford.
It was a decision that was proved right, as he was playing first-team football in the Championship at the age of 17. While Blackpool suffered back-to-back relegations, they had a shining star in Bright Osayi-Samuel.
It was an unconventional route to professional football for a player who was born in Nigeria but also spent part of his childhood in Spain before moving to England. He grew up playing cage football, where his skills were honed to become a winger.
Asked who he tried to copy, he said: “David Villa because I went to school in Spain for a bit and at the time, he was playing really well and that’s why he’s one of my idols. Neymar and Robinho because when I was younger, I played a lot of cage football with my friends and you always want to show your skills like them, so I looked up to them from really young.”
At Blackpool, he got valuable game time under his belt. The club went into League One, then into the bottom division of the EFL but Osayi-Samuel had done enough under the management of Gary Bowyer for Queens Park Rangers to make their move, with the move breaking the £1million barrier after a recommendation by chief scout Gary Penrice.
It meant he followed in the footsteps of Trevor Sinclair by moving from Blackpool to QPR. They both played as wingers and Osayi-Samuel has watched footage of former England winger Sinclair as he tries to improve his game. “I watched him a few times and he was a terrific player,” he said.
While Osayi-Samuel can play across the forward line for QPR, he enjoys being an old-fashioned winger.
“Every time I play I need to have an impact. Beat players, pick players out, crosses. I just want to help my team-mates,” he said. “I base myself on my pace and power and every time I play I want to take players on.”
Eberechi Eze also impressed in QPR’s team and earned a move to Crystal Palace, with Osayi-Samuel expected to join him in the top flight. There was a bid made by Club Brugges in the summer but the move did not get completed.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, clubs are now looking at whether he would fit into their team as a free transfer.
“He’s 22 years old and he’s dealing with this. It’s part and parcel of being an elite player and having your profile raised,” said QPR manager Mark Warburton. “He’s dealing with it very well and deserves credit for the way he’s dealing with it.”
