Michael Kayode revealed long-throw origins that made him a fan favourite at Brentford and in the Premier League, not just for his defensive prowess but for a “secret weapon” he discovered by accident at a Serie D club.
At Gozzano, where he was on loan from Juventus, Kayode discovered a devastatingly long throw-in ability.
“It was a joke. Everyone was in the gym throwing a ball, and when I did it, everyone found out my throw was so long.”
“So with the coach and the players, we started to do it during the game. It’s funny because even now, I don’t really train it. I don’t think you have to train to have a good throw; I think it comes naturally. I’ve never worked on my technique.”
While the throw-ins make the highlight reels, Michael is quick to point out that his game is built on much more than a set-piece gimmick.
“It is definitely better if someone talks about defending, going forward, or stuff like that,” he says, referencing his one-on-one athleticism that has shut down some of the league’s best wingers.
Michael’s Usain Bolt Inspiration and How Football Took Him to Juventus
Michael’s footballing education began at the highest level, joining Juventus at the age of six, though the path to professional stardom was anything but a straight line.
“I started with other sports because my father and also my brother were watching a lot of football. They love football. But I started with swimming.”
After football, Kayode moved to athletics, then football. “Every time I watched the Olympics, I saw Usain Bolt and it was just too easy for him to win.”
“When I was a child, I always loved to run, so I was thinking, ‘Yeah, maybe I could do this.’ When I saw him in the Olympics, I was trying to do the 100m.”
While at athletics, Michael Kayode revealed how he finally chose football, because he was waiting for his dad.
” I was at athletics, and after you finish your running, you wait for your parents. It was a small gym with a football pitch. So I was waiting and I tried to kick the ball for the first time.”
“I scored a very good goal, and I was thinking like, ‘Let’s do this.’ It’s my dad’s fault for being late picking you up! That’s how I ended up playing football; it was all natural, and I felt the passion for this since the first time I kicked the ball.”
Credit: Showmax and Premier League Productions.
