Roony Bardghji: Copenhagen’s teenage sensation facing Manchester City

For Roony Bardghji, the highlight has been a relentless companion.

Life has been hectic for the 18-year-old, identified merely as Roony.

Born in Kuwait to Syrian mother and father, he moved to Sweden along with his mom and brother on the age of six, later reuniting along with his father. His footballing journey took him to varied golf equipment, together with Kallinge SK, Rodeby AIF, Malmo, after which in 2020, Copenhagen.

By the time that transfer was confirmed on his fifteenth birthday, lots of people in Scandinavia have been effectively conscious of him. Since then, with 12 objectives in 49 league video games, he has justified why.

‘The top of his ceiling is himself’

Keeping his ft on the bottom was all the time essential for Roony’s development, because the widespread consideration gathered in his days as a youth participant.

“He had a really humble strategy to all of the issues he did, in his work ethic on daily basis,” Roony’s under-19s coach at Malmo Jeffrey Aubynn, who now heads up their scouting community, tells BBC Sport.

“He confirmed on the sphere he had a giant perception in his capacity. That mixture, with the numerous technical instruments he has, stood out for me.

“He has elevated his improvement on a regular basis since leaving Malmo, enjoying within the Champions League. The top of his ceiling is outlined by himself.”

Roony is used to enjoying at the next stage than his age would dictate. At Rodeby, a small membership based mostly a six-hour spherical journey from his home the place he performed between the ages of 10 and 13, it didn’t take him lengthy to dominate on the pitch, however it was his want to succeed that shone by way of.

“When Roony began coaching with us, he was a bit of chubby child with a ardour for soccer,” his coach on the time, Fredrik Akesson, remembers.

“He was an easy-going man, all the time well mannered with a smile on his face and shortly made buddies within the group. He knew we have been a group that skilled greater than others, particularly on the appropriate issues. He additionally knew that we performed extra matches and tournaments than another group in Sweden.

“Our group was top-of-the-line in our age group. Whenever Roony obtained the ball, one thing extraordinary occurred, be it a improbable transfer, a trendy help, or an excellent objective.

“You may put him in a group with guys 4 or 5 years older, and he made an impression. That’s once you started to grasp his potential to turn into actually good. He determined quite a few finals and essential matches for us. There have been numerous brokers watching him after we performed in bigger tournaments in Sweden.”

‘Whenever Roony obtained the ball, one thing extraordinary occurred’

It was from there that he went to Malmo, one among Sweden’s greatest golf equipment, however such was his burgeoning repute throughout Scandinavia, it was not lengthy till he was being courted once more.

“We heard of him earlier than he got here, he was very dominant at Rodeby. He stood out in that setting,” Aubynn provides. “He may be very versatile, good in between the traces, he can take gamers on one towards one. He is direct in looking for the objective and ending potentialities.

“We needed to maintain him. We tried; we gave him a plan and confirmed him our ideas for his journey in our membership. Sometimes relationships finish in soccer. He went to Copenhagen and I want him the very best.”

The magnitude of signing Roony was not misplaced on anyone in Denmark. It was seen as a seminal second for FC Copenhagen.

“When he was 14 or 15, many knew he was particular,” Danish journalist Nicklas Degn says. “He was approached loads from a really early age. It was seen as a marquee signing for FC Copenhagen by way of publicity. It was seen as FC Copenhagen underlining themselves as the most important membership in Scandinavia.

“He is near the full package deal for a participant who performs on the appropriate wing and might cowl most offensive positions. Roony is the best expertise in Scandinavia.”

‘He will go to an excellent Premier League membership’

In 2021, on the age of 16, he turned Copenhagen’s youngest ever participant, scoring per week after his debut. His identify has been linked with virtually each high European membership, and he may in the future be destined for the Premier League.

“He has justified the hype and his potential is tough to understate,” Degn continues. “He will go to an excellent Premier League membership. He would go well with a group that dominates the ball, like Manchester City, or Liverpool as a result of he has very comparable traits to Mohamed Salah.

“When Copenhagen must give you one thing good or unlock a group, it’s Roony they give the impression of being to. He has this distinctive expertise.”

City should be on alert for a participant who shouldn’t be afraid to place them on the again foot with clever dribbling and motion.

“What stands out probably the most to me is his use of the physique,” Akesson says. “He typically deceives opponents with physique motion earlier than the ball reaches his ft, placing opponents in awkward conditions.

“When he has the ball, he has an unimaginable capacity to unbalance opponents, then dribble or pretend previous them. He makes use of his physique when opponents attempt to deal with him, permitting him to achieve velocity out of conditions on the sphere.

But most pertinently, Roony has not obtained forward of himself. There are extra ranges to succeed in, as he appears to be like to turn into a totally fledged Sweden worldwide.

“Being humble is vital. You see many circumstances the place good abilities come by way of early with success however cannot maintain their ft firmly on the bottom and lose grip of the journey,” Aubynn says. “It is all the time a journey and it’s about how good you might be at taking the appropriate steps.”

Roony’s journey is simply starting, however he’s exhibiting he belongs on the very greatest stage.