Ex-Braga man praises Benfica signing Lukebakio: loads of talent | OneFootball

Dodi Lukebakio was the surprise signing at the end of the transfer window for Benfica. The player, who came from Sevilla, shared the locker room with Anthony D'Alberto during their time at Anderlecht, as well as at Charleroi. The player, who also played for Braga, Moreirense, and Torreense, spoke about the Eagles’ new signing, stating that he is a great addition to Bruno Lage’s squad.

"In my opinion, he will have an impact on the team. He is a very good player, very strong in one-on-one situations, he doesn’t feel the pressure of being at a big club or playing against anyone. He has a very high level to achieve great things at Benfica. He has already shown at several clubs, such as Sevilla or even the Belgian national team, that he is a player of a very high level. He has everything it takes to play an important role at Benfica," said Anthony D'Alberto in statements to the newspaper Record.

Recalling the time he shared the locker room with Dodi Lukebakio at Anderlecht, Anthony D'Alberto says that the winger’s talent was already evident early on, but points out one flaw: "Honestly, when I played with him at Anderlecht, in the youth teams, it was already clear he was a different player and very talented. He had a lot of quality, but on the mental side, he wasn’t such a focused player".

The Belgian crossed paths with his compatriot again outside of Anderlecht and revealed that, at their reunion, Lukebakio was a different player: "When I met him again three years later at Charleroi, I realized his mentality had changed, much more humble. And he ended up being able to show all those qualities. After that, it was a natural progression. He did very well in Germany and made it to the national team".

Finally, Anthony D'Alberto attributed Lukebakio’s change in mentality to the 27-year-old player’s religious devotion: "He was already a different player, very religious, he had met his wife, and I saw great changes in his mentality. That’s what helped him become a top player," he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.