Top Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko revealed his admiration for Zlatan Ibrahimovic - before admitting his status as a star striker went against his dad's wishes.
The RB Leipzig starlet enjoyed a successful first season at the club where he scored 18 goals across all competitions while picking up his first piece of silverware in Germany in the form of the DFL Supercup thanks to their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich last year.
Despite starting just 17 Bundesliga games, the Slovenia international ended the season in red-hot form, bagging in seven consecutive games as Leipzig secured a fourth-placed finish, ensuring their participation in the Champions League next season.
Sesko - who's been subject to rumours of a move to Arsenal - had established himself as a regular goal-scorer during his time with Red Bull Salzburg and has lived up to expectations thus far in Germany.
His impressive reputation in front of goal almost didn't come to fruition due to his dad's wish for him to become a goalkeeper and follow in his footsteps. The 21-year-old's father, Ales, was a keen shot-stopper in the family’s hometown Radece.
"He was the same height as me and we played a lot of football together," Sesko told The Guardian last year. "At the start he wanted me to be a keeper too but I said to him: 'Look, it’s really boring, I can’t do it any more!'"
After a brief moment playing in defence, Sesko's tendency to smash the back of the net nurtured his move up the pitch as he revealed his idolisation of ex- Manchester United striker Ibrahimovic. "I was playing centre-back and I always took the ball and tried to score goals. It was always goals, goals, goals and that’s why I became a striker," he said before admitting: " Zlatan Ibrahimovic was my idol.
"I’m not saying I play like him but he was having fun, enjoying himself on the pitch, doing what he wanted to do. It makes me really happy when I see that kind of player. Every single video I could find, I was looking at him."
Sesko doesn't ever seem satisfied with himself as he discussed his urge to continue scoring and improving. "I’m very happy on this stage and want to score more and more, sometimes I have to stop myself and say: 'Look, this can take time and then it’s going to work.' But I’m really, really happy with the start."
