Gianfranco Zola sees many of the qualities he possessed himself as a young player in new signing Savio Nsereko.
The West Ham United manager learned his trade at Napoli - where he worked alongside Diego Maradona - and Parma before arriving in English football at the age of 26. While Savio is younger at 19, Zola believes he shares many similarities with the Germany Under-20 forward, who has already trained with his new team-mates.
Zola revealed he and technical director Gianluca Nani have long admired the Uganda-born player, who was brought up in the German city of Munich before moving to Italian side Brescia Calcio at the age of 16. The manager now plans to work closely with Savio, who has arrived on a four-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee, to ensure he makes the most of his undoubted talents.
"Savio is very similar to what I was when I was 19. I wasn't the player I am now but I was very good at taking players on. That is one of the main qualities between a normal player and a special player. Especially in modern football, you don't find many players with this kind of ability.
"Savio is already a top player but one top of that he has to put other qualities. That's why I'm here. I'm going to try and give him the other bits missing from his game that will allow him to go a step higher. He certainly has qualities which are quite a rarity in modern football. Taking players on is very important.
"He will excite West Ham United fans. He is certainly one of those players who catches your eye and we are confident he is going to do it over here. But please don't forget he is 19 and he has to learn a lot. He will certainly become a very important player. But we have to allow him time to settle into the rhythms of the Premier League. I'm sure he will be a success."
The manager suggested that the forward would put fans on the edge of their seats with his ability and pace. A skilful winger or forward, Savio is a player Zola believes will have no hesitation in taking on defenders.
"We have been following Savio for a long time. I saw him on tapes a long time ago and then I saw him on television. He is one of those players, who in a one-versus-one situation, is deadly. He is very good at taking players on and in transition - on the counterattack. He is quick. He is that type of player that I like. He is the type of player I like and it is important to have in the team. When you have someone who is good at taking players on, he creates always something for you and that is why he is here."
Zola was also excited about Savio's ability to perform in a number of positions. The youngster is capable of playing on either flank and also down the middle. The manager also believes he can work well with in-form striker Carlton Cole, who has scored five goals in his last six matches.
"I think he can play very well with Carlton but because he is a dynamic player, he can play in different positions. Recently with Brescia he was playing on the left side of midfield in a 4-4-2 formation. He is very adaptable. As far as I understand, he is very much willing to learn and improve his qualities. We will see where he can fit best on the pitch and then decide where to play him."