Villarreal whizkid Samuel Chukwueze says his lightning performance against Real Madrid was down to steely focus and determination.
The 20-year-old lit up La Liga last season with a number of eye-catching performances after breaking into the first-team in November.
Perhaps the most stunning of which came against the almighty Los Blancos at the start of January this year.
Chukwueze spent 90 minutes tormenting four-time Champions League winner Marcelo and the entire Real defence, ending with an assist in the 2-2 draw.
Villarreal's inconsistent season up to that point meant Chukwueze had somewhat flown under the radar in Spain.
But the utter domination of Marcelo, which arguably contributed to his plight during the second half of the season, thrust the Nigeria international into the category of the brightest talents in football.
For the man himself, there was not anything special in his preparation. Only supreme focus to perform against the best.
He told TribalFootball.com:"My determination and focus was to play well against [Real] Madrid and help my team.
"Playing very good against Real Madrid really boosted my confidence. You are playing against Real Madrid, best club in the world and every player is dreaming to play for Madrid so I entered the game with determination to play better, not just against Marcelo.
"My aim was to work very hard so that Villarreal will have a good result. I was very happy at the end of the game.
"There was no other preparation than to remain focused. I just entered the game to play. I did not think that Marcelo has any weak point. I just entered the game to play well for my club.
"If Marcelo play good, I play good too. If he will not allow me to play good, he will not play good too. I entered the field and focused on my game. I did not even think I was going to do this or that against Marcelo.
"I can show myself as a good player by working hard for the team and let the better team win the game. Anything that wants to happen should happen."
Video Courtesy of MH STUDIOS
Further Reading of our exclusive interview with Samuel Chukwueze
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