Style, they say, is the man.
In fact, Lexa Doig, Canadian TV and movie actress weighed in on the question of style and men, saying:”Men with style are great because they have a sense of self.”
She may probably have had the likes of Nigerian Unión Deportiva Las Palmas’ striker, Macauley Chrisantus, in mind after he spoke glowingly about his penchant for simple and stylish clothes.
Chrisantus has really come of age after representing Nigeria at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea where he emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with seven goals and was awarded the adidas Silver Ball as the second Most Valuable Player.
He immediately joined German club, Hamburg, in 2007 from Abuja FC. In 2009, he was loaned to Karlsruhe SC where he later spent three seasons before berthing at Spanish Segunda side based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – in the autonomous community of Canary Islands.
But when it comes to what-to-wear and how-to-wear matter, Chrisantus is indeed his own man as he hinted in this frank conversation with The Nation Sport & Style.
“I have a sense of dressing that is typical of the Europeans; simple and stylish,” he said. “I love simple dressing and appearing cute and responsible.
“I am not used to flashy things because appearing flashy does not mean you are a man of style.
I just love looking good as simple as possible and every other thing is immaterial.”
Being a man of style of course could warrant an undue attention from the opposite sex, but Chrisantus stated that he knows how to keep things in proper shape, adding that being single is not a liberty to be loose
“Yes, I agree with you that ladies like a guy that dresses well but I don’t get carried away with that,” he said with a sense of finality. “I treat everybody equally, whether you are a man or a woman is not necessary.
“When you come to a country like Spain thinking it is their female fans that would thrill you to play, that means you are not ready. I’m taking a cue from star players like David Beckham who is one of the handsome footballers.
“Yet, he is not carried away despite the fact that he is considered one of the most stylish men all over the world. So why should I be carried away because ladies appreciate what I wear?’’
Chrisantus’ career may not have blossomed as widely expected soon after his goals led Nigeria to her third FIFA Under-17 World Cup crown six years ago, but he is upbeat that there is light around the tunnel as he speaks on sundry issues. Excerpts…
German adventure after U-17 World Cup
I have never regretted any decisions I have made in my life. Instead, I will give God the glory for always being there in the time of trouble. A footballer’s career is up and down, the up maybe much more than the down side but the ultimate thing is to keep the faith and be focussed about my dream and aspirations. And that has really worked well for me. I was actually in good form when I moved to Hamburg but things changed when I got there. Yes, I have conquered so many problems and I’m now mature in handling the challenges of life
My injury setback
There is no way you could run from injury except you are not ready to play the game. It can happen anytime; it can be tougher than expected but the secret to conquer is to remain confident about your dreams and always think about it. I had some many dreams when I moved to Germany but I couldn’t realise much because it was a challenging phase for me. But thank God, I was able to conquer before I left. I can say injury slowed me down, but in other ways it has made me stronger because I am still much very ready to hit my world.
Sunshine in Spain
Like in Germany, Spain is another lovely country to live. I enjoyed virtually everything in Germany when it comes to football facilities and life off the pitch. It’s also great here in Spain. I don’t go beyond my boundary. In my club, everybody loves to see me, we relate as if I have been there for years and that is the way football should be. So life is good for me in Spain and I hope to keep making wave.
Between Germany and Spain
I think German life is easier than Spanish but they are both lovely places to play irrespective of anything. In Germany, you get everything easier and the language is easy to communicate but as a newcomer here in Spain, I’m still in the learning process.
Twelve goals in first season
I think I settled well by scoring such amount of goals in my first season. Going by my form that time, I had every reason to score close to at least 20 goals; but I think I missed some games due to rotational policy at the club, but generally it was a perfect season for me. Apart from my personal ability, I think much had to do with my team mates who made the passes for me to score. You can now see why I said it’s been lovely for me here.
La Liga play-off agony
I will describe that scenario as ill-luck. We played a good game and dominated the game but at the end our opponents were very fortunate. And that was the most interesting part of football. People say the best team won in such cases. It was a painful one for the entire team but personally I still see it as another challenge, maybe we need to work harder next time. But it was a big lesson, despite that I scored in the last play off, I felt like crying. But what can I do than to look up to the next opportunity.
Goals still counting…
I don’t want to set a goal target for myself but I want to keep scoring. I started the season with a goal and I intend to build more in my confidence to score as many as possible this season.
La Liga, my big dream
I can play anywhere in the top leagues. I have live in Germany and I succeeded with their life, so I can live comfortable anywhere I find myself. I may not know where I will be playing next but God has done everything perfectly. You can’t go beyond what your creator has done for you. Everything is still about destiny, but prayer works than power. I wish to play in La Liga either with Palmas or any other big team. I have what it takes to play there; I am looking forward to such big dream soon. There are offers in La Liga and other leagues. The God that I’m serving is at work. There are offers in La Liga but how concrete are they? I will not speak more than that but my future is with God and which would be sorted out before next summer.
Super Eagles beckon
I don’t need to blow my trumpet before the coach knows that I am ripe enough for a shirt in the Super Eagles. The coach doesn’t need to invite me by my past performance or media hype, I will request for my own invitation to the coach and NFF with my performance. That is the only way I want to be in the Super Eagles. I have been tipped for greatness by the people of my country and I still owe a big debt to live up to their expectations. I am getting closer to the national team but only God knows the time.
The hype of being Rashid Yekini
As I said before, I don’t need hype; I want my game to speak for me. To the blessed memory of the great Rashid Yekini, I have said it times without number that the new Rashid will be a player that has a career in the Super Eagles. You can’t start comparing me with Rashid who played for the Super Eagles. And the truth of the matter is that Rashid was Rashid; the new one is not yet discovered or born. So, I am not.
Life off the pitch
I always like to stay with my friends if I don’t go to training or matches. And I still spend some time on my fitness. I spent lots of time in the gym to build more on my fitness and look trim when need be. I always examine my fitness rate almost every day. Apart from that, I listen to music and also read my Bible a lot.
PROFILE
Macauley Chrisantus
Full name Macauley Chrisantus
Date of birth 20 August 1990 (age 23)
Place of birth Abuja, Nigeria
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Striker
Current club Las Palmas
Youth career
2007 to Hearts of Abuja
2007–2008 Hamburger SV
Senior career*
Years Team Apps†
2008 Hamburger SV II
2008–2012 Hamburger SV
2011–2012: FSV Frankfurt
2012– Las Palmas
National team‡
2007 Nigeria U17
