Watford and Super Eagles of Nigeria forward, Emmanuel Dennis has revealed that he wanted to be a priest before he ended up becoming a football star.
The 24-year-old striker started his football career in Abuja, the federal capital territory of Nigeria before he joined Zorya Lugansk on a free transfer on July 1, 2016.
He later joined Club Brugge on July 1, 2017, where he made his name as a prolific striker despite joining the club for just €1.40 million.
He spent a part of the 2020-2021 season on loan at FC Köln before Club Brugge sold him to Watford for €4 million on July 1, 2021.
Before he left Club Brugge, Emmanuel Dennis played 116 times, scored 29 goals, and provided 13 assists.
Since he joined Watford, the Nigeria international has scored 6 goals and provided 5 assists in 16 appearances in all competitions which have made him one of the most important players at Watford.
Ahead of the club’s Premier League game against Brentford scheduled to kick off at 21:00 later today, December 10, 2021, Emmanuel Dennis told Sky Sports that he wanted to be a priest while growing up.
When asked whether he ever dreamt of being a professional footballer, Emmanuel Dennis said: “No, I never dreamed of being a professional football player. I wanted to be a priest but today I’m a baller.
“I grew up in a family that believes so much in God and goes to church. As a young boy, I’d go to church and admire the priest, and I was like, ‘yeah, I want to be a priest’. I was 13 or 14
“I was growing up and I was good at football and everyone was telling me, ‘you should be a footballer because you play really good. And my family were like, ‘no he needs to go to school’. And then they were like ‘OK…’ and they pushed me and I’m here.”
🗣️ "I wanted to be a priest, but today I'm a baller."
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 9, 2021
Watford forward Emmanuel Dennis reveals he didn't always dream of being a professional footballer growing up 😮 pic.twitter.com/uomR2yHydz
Emmanuel Dennis reveals why he stopped supporting Arsenal
Emmanuel Dennis used to be a strong supporter of the Arsenal football club but he has stopped supporting the Premier League club.
According to the football star, he had to stop supporting the Premier League club because it was emotionally exhausting for him. The Premier League star said his connection with Arsenal was not good for his health.
He said: “I used to be an Arsenal fan. I like Cesc Fabregas. But I’m no more an Arsenal fan. I was so much into Arsenal sometimes I could cry when they lose. That wasn’t good for me.
“So I was like, ‘nah, I’m going to stick to myself and don’t care much because it’s not good for my health’. It’s just me and myself right now.”
Coach Claudio Ranieri hails Dennis
The head coach of Watford, Claudio Ranieri has hailed Emmanuel Dennis who has been outstanding since he started playing for the club earlier this season.
The Nigerian football star started playing regularly after Ismaila Sarr sustained an injury. Since then, Dennis has scored 6 goals and provided 5 assists in the Premier League.
“I’m impressed a lot with his performances,” Ranieri said. “He’s very fast, he scores goals and makes a lot of assists for us. I hope he can continue in this way. He’s young and can score goals.
“I love this kind of player [who can play on either wing or through the middle], universal players, so I can change during the match some position from him, King, Cucho… with a lot of players in front. For me, that’s very good.
“I think he could play for these big teams. He must continue to improve and I speak a lot with him. I’m sure at the end of the season he can go into the big teams – but also he can stay in Watford!”
