Fresh from his first-team bow during pre-season, Joel Asoro has taken to the light in the first edition of 'Behind the Shirt'...
D.O.B: 27/04/1999
POSITION: Forward
NATIONALITY: Sweden
Main assets you bring to the team?
My pace.
Greatest inspiration?
Thierry Henry. The way he used his pace is exactly how I play, but that's a hard question.
Greatest achievement in football?
Getting the chance to move to England and to Sunderland was great. But to then get the chance to train and play with the first team was even better. To have done that in just one year of being at Sunderland is amazing. Things have moved quickly and I've always been told when a chance comes my way I need to take it, thankfully I have.
Best goal you have scored?
It has to be a goal I scored for Sweden against Finland. I scored a bicycle kick and it was on the volley so that has to be it.
Best game you've played in?
Dortmund last week. It was an amazing game to be part of and to have gone up against Mario Gotze and Andre Schurrle was great. During the game I didn’t think too much about it because I had a job to do, but it was a great experience.
Who do you look up to at the club?
JD (Jermain Defoe), obviously. To see him play is amazing and to train with him is great.
Any advice for other scholars?
I'm fortunate because some of my family have moved over here with me and that has made things easier. But everyone is friendly so its easy to make friends and then it's all about working hard and focusing.
Targets for the future?
I need to keep going, working hard and just focusing on each week.
