Etienne Eto'o pays tribute to his father!

At just 22 years old, Etienne Eto'o, son of the Cameroonian legend Samuel Eto'o, is beginning to make a name for himself at Rayo Vallecano. The top scorer for Madrid's reserve team, the young Lion has already played two matches with the first team this season and hopes to continue this momentum.

Before the highly anticipated clash against Real Madrid this weekend, where he might be on the bench, the U23 Cameroonian international opened up to the newspaper AS about his journey and family legacy.

Etienne Eto'o: “My father is my idol”

Despite a prestigious surname, the 1.90m striker recounts the challenges faced to become a professional. "People underestimate the difficulty of this profession. I've faced failures, traveled to many clubs with my mother without always succeeding. But that's part of the journey," explains the player who has already represented Cameroon at the U20 level.

While he speaks little of his father, he admits that Samuel Eto'o greatly influenced his vocation: "At home, it was football all the time. My father is my idol, I never had posters of other footballers, for fear of being scolded (laughs)."

Today, Samuel guides him mentally, while his mother, very involved, attends all his matches... except his debut! "A strange coincidence," he smiles.

Amine Jomni |

Editorfr

African football writer and sports journalist covering football news, stories and insights while sharing his expertise with fans across the continent.