SUMMARY
- Victor Osimhen, is one of the most prolific striker for Napoli FC.
- Other than his impressive on field performance, His mask is gaining a lot of attention.
Seria A club Napoli FC’s striker Victor Osimhen has been the subject of discussion in the soccer world in recent times. The 25-year-old forward has grown from strength to strength in the last couple of years. He was one of the major figures in Napoli’s Seria A title triumph in the 2022-2023 season. The player is currently one of the most prolific strikers in Europe’s top leagues.
After his stellar performances in recent times, Victor Osimhen has been linked to several top clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal. He is also touted to be garnering some interest from the La Liga giants Real Madrid. However, over the years one of the most striking features of Osimhen’s on-field presence has been the mask he wears on his face.
It has been reportedly termed that an earlier injury suffered by the player is the main reason behind him wearing the protective mask. The face mask worn by the player is reflected to be a reassuring factor for him. It helps him in dealing with the psychological trauma caused by that specific injury.
Injury that forced Victor Osimhen to wear a mask
In November 2021, in a Seria A match against fellow rivals Inter Milan, Victor Osimhen suffered an injury. The injury if wouldn’t have treated adequately, might have hampered his soccer career. During one of the aerial duels against the opponent’s player, the 25-year-old got hit on his left eye and face.
📌 Medical tests on Victor Osimhen after Napoli’s clash with Inter showed that the player has sustained a fractured eye socket and cheekbone pic.twitter.com/odJ5NtVPoq
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) November 21, 2021
After the medical tests, it was confirmed by the club’s hierarchy that the forward had suffered fractures on his eye socket and cheekbone. The injury kept the Nigerian international striker out of the on-field action for about three months. He missed a decent chunk of the Italian league matches that season.
Napoli doctor Roberto Ruggiero on Victor Osimhen’s protective head mask
Osimhen returned to the playing action in January 2022. However, upon his return, he was spotted wearing a protective face mask during his on-field appearances. The first team doctor of Napoli, Roberto Ruggiero stated the main agenda behind the player donning the mask.
Protective mask gives Osimhen security – Napoli doctor https://t.co/vR8VMy8q8S
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) July 31, 2022
As per reports Roberto stated – “Osimhen is perfectly healed, he’s still wearing the protective mask because it gives him a sense of security, but he’s healed”. “He has his own balance and wants to wear it. Hopefully this mask will be enough until he feels safe and takes it off”, the club’s doctor further asserted.
Since his return to the on-field action, Osimhen has been unstoppable and has been consistently scoring goals at the highest level. In the ongoing 2023-2024 Seria A season so far, the striker has netted seven goals and registered two assists in just 13 appearances. The supporters of Napoli hope that he continues his dream run of form for the club.
