Nicholas Jackson's journey from Senegal to Stamford Bridge is an eye-opener. Photo: Jamie Lorriman
Six years ago, Chelsea striker Nicholas Jackson was playing barefoot football in his hometown in Senegal, and his life was so far removed from the wealth and glamor of the Premier League that he had never owned a pair of boots.
Indeed, the very fact that Jackson explains how difficult it was for him to adapt to playing in football boots is a stunning reminder of how far he has come – and how quickly he has come – from Ziguinchor, to nine hours south of Dakar, to Stamford Bridge, via Villarreal.
During a spirited half hour at Chelsea's Cobham training ground, Jackson spoke about his journey to the Premier League and provided Telegraph Sport with intimate photographs of where it all began. and where his mother, Jeanne Malak, worked day and night on the farm.
“In Ziguinchor, they played in the streets, played only with their friends,” Jackson said. “There is no club, you just play because you love the game. Perhaps playing against each other for one euro. We have fun playing without boots. Just barefoot or maybe borrow someone's shoes to play with.”
Ziguinchor, southern Senegal, where Jackson grew up
When asked if he owned his own boots as a child, Jackson replied: “No, boots were expensive. I played in school shoes or barefoot. I probably got my first boots when I was 16. My mom bought them for me, they were cheap and didn't look like the original boots. These were used boots. At first I didn't play with them because I wasn't used to them. I'm used to playing barefoot. So it took a while, it was a little strange.
“When I was growing up, I loved Cristiano Ronaldo. His name was on the shirt I always wore. Not a real shirt because they are expensive so don't buy them. But I had a shirt on which I put a 7 in pen, Ronaldo. I did this myself as a child.
“I pretended to be him, of course, but it was difficult to watch his games because you had to pay. We all went to my friend's house. We watched as a large group, not just one person in the house. All my friends, we all went to the same house to watch Real Madrid.
Jackson's childhood home in Ziguinchor
Jackson's admiration for Ronaldo explains why he celebrated his first career hat-trick against ” Tottenham Hotspur's nine-player squad celebrated the Portuguese striker's famous “siuuu” celebration.
“I always celebrated it, even when I was at Villarreal and I scored two goals,” Jackson, 22, said. “So when I scored a hat-trick, I had to do it. Now I will only do this for hat-tricks, and not for every goal.
“It was my first hat-trick in my career. It was something special. The ball is in my living room so everyone can see it. I hope there will be many more, but the first one is always very important and I will try to keep it safe.”
Jackson celebrates his hat-trick against the Spurs with the caption “siuuu' Photo: Robin Jones/Getty Images
If his hat-trick helps show how far he's come and adds context to the Sioux celebrations, then another goal is important to Jackson's belief that he was born to be a footballer. .
“My mom and dad said that when I was little, before I could even talk, they bought me a ball. For me to fall asleep, I needed to be with the ball. I was a child. They didn’t take a photo because there was no camera, and I slept with the ball. If I woke up and didn't see the ball, I would cry. Everyone told me this.
“Football was what I had to do. It's like God gives you and says, “You can do it.”
“I had to choose my own path.”
That determination and faith convinced Jackson to drop out of school at age 16, even though that he has never played in any of Senegal's academies and has not yet attracted the interest of any professional clubs.
“In Senegal, some kids go to the academy, but my family, on my dad’s side, it wasn’t like they didn’t want me to play, it was like, ‘Are you going to make it in football?’ because it’s so hard,” he said. Jackson.
“You will have to choose between going to school or playing football. I dropped out of school and everyone was annoyed with me. If I hadn't achieved success in football, I don't know what I would have done. They wanted me to go to school and graduate, but I had to choose my own path.
“I needed to fight and be strong. I didn't go to parties, didn't smoke, didn't drink. I still haven't done it. I had a lot of friends who did it, but I knew I was alone and if it didn't work out, it would be a hard life. I'm not the only one who had a hard time in Africa, so I wasn't afraid of it.”
Even though Jackson's mother was angry at his decision to leave school, she worked day and night to support her son, who believes no matter how much he earns at Chelsea, he will never make it. will be able to pay her off his debt.
“You know mothers, they just do whatever it takes for you,” Jackson said. “They just love you and always support you. I didn't go to school, but she always supported and helped me.
“She worked on a farm. Where I come from, a lot of people are involved in farming. She will have to work from morning to night to feed me. She will farm and then sell. She sold everything: peanuts, watermelon. I played football, I didn’t sell money with her and didn’t make money.
“I don’t want her to do anything now. She's still in Senegal and wants to work, but I don't want her to. She doesn't want to sit in one place, so we'll see.
“You can't repay your mom and dad, ever. Especially your mom, because she kept you in her stomach for nine months. Whatever you do for her, it will never be enough. I always try to do everything possible to make her happy.”
Jackson with his mother in Ziguinchor
Jackson's big break came when he was spotted by former Fulham striker Diomansi Camara and, aged 17, he joined Casa Sports, who play in Senegal's top professional division, for the 2018/19 season. After a trial at Benfica, he moved to Villarreal in Spain, and this summer he was signed by Chelsea for £32 million.
“I played on the street, but some agents came to watch the games,” – Jackson explained. . “Diomancy organized a tournament for the best players in Ziguinchor and just saw me there. From there I moved to Casa in the First Division. Maybe seven months straight to Spain.
“I never went to football school. I just played outside, was fast and could dribble. But when I went to Spain, Unai Emery was there and he raised me.”
Jackson playing for Villarreal against Atlético Madrid earlier this year Photo: Domenech Castello/Shutterstock
Except for the English weather, the biggest shock to Jackson's system since his move to Chelsea has been the intense scrutiny on him and his teammates.
During the defeat to Brentford, Jackson was distracted by a supporter who shouted at him to “wake up” as he spoke to head coach Mauricio Pochettino, and after the game his goal-scoring instincts were questioned by two former strikers turned pundits, Alan Shearer and Peter Crouch . .
“I owe the fan an apology,” Jackson said. “I never had this before. At Villarreal you play without much pressure because they are a different team, but I know they come from a good place.
“I usually don’t talk to fans and don’t get distracted by what they say. I don't know what came over me. It must have been a disappointment. This is no small thing: everyone in the game expects you to do what they want you to do. It's because they love you, not because they hate you. They want you to make them happy. Now I know it. I was in Villarreal, but it was a different environment. You don't have such things there. It's different at Chelsea.”
Asked about the criticism he received from Shearer and Crouch, Jackson added: “Cristiano was scoring 30 or 35 goals a season and people were criticizing him. You will never hear him talk about it, he simply responded with triumph. So it doesn't concern me. I learn from him and never respond to criticism. I know what I’m capable of, I believe in myself.”
There are as many yellow cards as there are goals
Jackson has scored seven goals for Chelsea ahead of Saturday's clash with Newcastle United, the latest of which came against Manchester City before the international break. He also has seven bookings to his name and has already served a one-match ban after picking up five yellow cards in his first six league matches.
Pochettino said he would fine Jackson for five bookings “not like you you think it's not money,” and the player believes he has served his sentence.
“One day I ran and didn't know why,” Jackson said. “Maybe this is it. I was dead that day, I think it was my punishment. They just called me to run. I said, “Why, what happened?”, but I just had to run. These were laps, very hard, intense, and then when I finished, I lay down. I think that's the point.
“The coach talked to me and told me to be careful. When you show a card, you receive a yellow card. That was the main thing. I plan to change that.”
So will Jackson finish the season with more goals or more yellow cards? “I don’t mind getting 40 yellow cards if I score 30 goals! I have a goal [goals]. I'll tell you at the end of the season if I get there. I'm sure I will do so.”
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