Brian Madjo: The precocious Aston Villa forward who models his game on Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski
The comparison that keeps popping up regarding Madjo is with ex-Chelsea and Inter striker Lukaku, but to linger on that does a disservice to the youngster’s array of talents.
“His profile is similar,” admits Luxembourg FA director Cardoni. “But, even if we are keeping our feet on the ground, Brian has a more complete profile [than Lukaku], because he is good in tight spaces, really good in terms of positional play. He is also good in terms of going in behind, and he can also feed the ball with both feet. He has huge room for growth.”
That technical refinement may be due to Cardoni’s decision to force him to play in central midfield.
When asked if he actually enjoyed that U14 midfield stint, Madjo laughed. “Not really, but anyway… I had to prepare myself to play against senior players who are the same size as me. At that level, you can’t just rely on your natural strength. You have to have other strengths.”
It helped mould him into a well-rounded forward. Instead of chasing goals, Madjo prides himself on his off-the-ball movement and pressing.
“First, with my back to goal, I focus on deflections, but also on playing forward,” he said of his strengths. “I try to have vision and game intelligence. I’d rather have a good game and not score than score and lose possession all the time. The team comes first.”
His ability to hold onto the ball left a lasting impression on Luxembourg legend and former Metz striker Nico Braun, who was stunned upon the teenager’s arrival in France.
“I saw footage, I saw him shielding the ball, I saw his ball control, which he does like no one else at Metz,” Braun said. “I saw how early you have to get up to take that ball from him, and I can’t imagine anything else but this: he’s going to have a great career!”
While Madjo embraces the Lukaku comparisons by frequently watching clips of the Belgian before matches, he has modelled his game on others. He said he analyses the movement of Brian Brobbey, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema, constantly looking to add new dimensions to a game that is already terrifying senior defenders.
