If Daryl Dike makes his debut in English football tonight, he will do so against one of the clubs that he spent his childhood watching and admiring from the other side of the world.
While the United States international, who last week signed for Barnsley on loan from MLS side Orlando City until the end of the season, had plenty of sports competing for his attention growing up in Oklahoma, it was always football that was likely to be his calling.
For a start, it was very much in the family. He is the third Dike to play international football, following in the steps of his brother Bright, who played in the US top-flight and for Nigeria, and sister Courtney, who represented the African nation at the Women’s World Cup in 2015.
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“It’s always been in my family’s DNA,” he told The72. “If you walk in the house you see cups that my siblings have got, and you’ll see football on TV constantly. It’s in our blood, everyone knows the game.”
With MLS still emerging from the shadows, the best action to be found on television was the Premier League, and Dike was raised on a course of the finest players in English football every weekend.
“When you’re younger in America, all you see is English football every single day,” he said. “You wake up Saturday and Sunday morning and that’s what on TV so of course it’s kind of in your DNA. Your first thought is to watch football if you dream about playing.”
As he developed into an all-round striker, there were plenty of talents in the English top-flight to take inspiration from, and he had a keen eye on Chelsea’s Didier Drogba in particular – even if the rest of his family would have preferred him to be more loyal to their London rivals Arsenal.
“My whole family are actually Arsenal fans,” Dike said. “My parents had me grow up supporting Arsenal. I sometimes supported Chelsea, sometimes Barcelona as well. I kind of support everyone, and just enjoy watching the game.
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“In terms of other players, I love Lionel Messi. I used to love watching Drogba when I was younger as well. There are tons of players that I enjoy. No matter what, I always find a way of appreciating what they’re doing.”
He will have the chance to appreciate Chelsea’s current crop at close range tonight, as Thomas Tuchel brings the Blues to Oakwell for an FA Cup fifth-round tie which could see Dike go head-to-head with fellow American Christian Pulisic.
Against a club that represented the best as he grew up, the 20-year-old has the chance to make the perfect start to his own English adventure.
