Abraham has scored five goals in 17 games for Roma
Roma striker Tammy Abraham believes Jose Mourinho has turned him into a “monster” and made him play more aggressively.
The 24-year-old left Chelsea in the summer and joined Roma, scoring five goals and registering two assists in 17 appearances so far this season.
However, a dip in form for Mourinho’s side had coincided with a difficult spell for the striker, with the Englishman scoring just once in his last eight matches.
Despite this, Abraham still earned a call-up to the England senior squad and was involved in the Three Lions’ win over Albania on Friday.
When asked by Sky Sports what Mourinho had taught him at the Stadio Olimpico so far, Abraham replied: “Just be a monster really!
“I think one of the things he said was I was too much of a nice player and that you have to show that aggressiveness as you’re getting older as a striker.
“It’s not always about being nice on the pitch. You need that character, you need that presence to frighten defenders and I think that’s something I’m learning and getting better at.”
Beautiful 3 points 😍 see you after the break @OfficialASRoma #ForzaRoma pic.twitter.com/TEJ396vzpm
— Tammy Abraham (@tammyabraham) October 3, 2021
The former Chelsea man admitted that it was ‘tough’ to move to a different country, but the need to play regular first-time football was always the priority for him.
“It’s always tough, moving and going to experience a different country and different culture,” said Abraham.
“I felt the sooner I settled in the better, and started learning different types of football and different styles. I’ve gone to spread my wings and hopefully I can keep up the level of performances I need to stay in the team.
“Of course (the World Cup) was in the back of my mind but really I just wanted to play football. For me, it’s still a young career and I just felt I needed to go out and play some games to improve and hit the highest levels and hopefully I can keep striving on.”
Having accumulated nine England caps, the frontman will be desperate to start when England face San Marino on Monday night, with the Three Lions knowing that a draw would guarantee them a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Related links:
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- QUIZ: Name the players who played for Gareth Southgate’s England
- Jose Mourinho hits out at another reporter as he claims ‘you are not intelligent at all’
