Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has revealed how he has modelled his game, and been inspired, by former Chelsea and AC Milan forward Andriy Shevchenko.
Ukrainian Shevchenko, the fifth top goalscorer in European competitions with 67 goals, made his name at Dynamo Kiev before moving to Milan.
After 127 goals in 208 Serie A games for Milan over seven years, he joined Chelsea in 2006, where he was never able to recapture the glory days with the scoring, even though the club were successful.
Frenchman Giroud said: “When I was young I tried to run like Shevchenko because he was a fantastic player and really elegant as well.
“Sometimes at training I used to start running like him. He runs in a special way and he was really powerful – short but strong. I tried to imitate his shots as well.
“I don’t think [my coach] noticed though, because it was a quick try. It was not an obsession!”
Giroud has 45 goals in 108 games for the Gunners since arriving from Montpellier in 2012.
Steve Osborne @Pack3rNa7ion
