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Gor Mahia's Rooney Onyango has explained the reasons behind his rise to prominence for Harambee Stars.
Harambee Stars wing back Rooney Onyango has opened up on what it is like playing out of position since making his national team debut against Russia last October.
Onyango has quickly become a fan favorite after earning just three caps for the side, with his weight of passing, verticality and crossing a joy to behold during his outings for Kenya so far.
Speaking to the media before the country jetted out to Malawi for the upcoming Four Nations Tournament, Onyango was grateful that the environment he found in the national team enabled him to settle in quite well, which he attributes to his good performances so far.
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“It is a great feeling. First of all I want to thank God because things have been positive on my side, but also, I want to thank the coach and my teammates for making it easy for me in the national team,” Onyango said.
“I am growing in confidence each and every day.”
Onyango has been deployed as a right winger ever since making his debut for the side, and has even featured on the left flank.
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This is despite being a right back primarily for his club Gor Mahia. However, Rooney refuses to let playing in an unfamiliar position at national team level affect him, and he has actually embraced it. "It is easy. It is about mindset and the confidence you put on on the pitch.”
Last November, Engin Firat explained that playing Onyango as a right back would be limiting his true attacking capabilities, comparing the situation to “driving a Porsche with a hand brake”.
“Rooney has a lot of offensive qualities which he has started learning quickly in the national team.
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“He is clearly an offensive player and that’s the position I will be using him in.”
Onyango’s ability to influence play in the final third is not new. During his days at Wazito under the tutelage of Francis Kimanzi, Onyango had formed a formidable wing-back partnership with now-Tusker left-back Levin Joseph Odhiambo.
Their ability to influence play in the final third as full-backs left interested observers with no choice but to compare them to the dynamic Liverpool duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.
Follow the Pulse Sports Kenya WhatsApp Channel for more news.
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