Premier League: Town hero aims to follow Drogba example

The Benin international, an £11.5m capture from Montpellier, netted twice as the Terriers claimed a stunning 3-0 win at Crystal Palace.

It was a dream start for not only 22-year-old Mounie, but also Town on their return to the top flight after a 45-year absence.

“My idol is Drogba,” revealed Mounie after firing Huddersfield to the top of the fledgling league table albeit to be passed after Manchester United beat West Ham 4-0. “Sometimes, I just watch video clips of him, scoring goals over here. I think I have a similar style with him. I am big like him. What he did (in England) is an inspiration to me.

“He is also African, like me, and we almost have the same story. He was born in Africa, came to France and then to England. I will try and follow in his footsteps.”

Drogba netted 164 goals in 381 appearances for Chelsea so Mounie clearly has some way to go before being compared with his hero. Coach David Wagner, however, admitted his delight at Saturday’s memorable start.

“I had known his name for six months so he wasn’t totally unknown to me when I first heard the name,” he said. “But we had to move quickly after winning promotion to sign him. I liked it when I saw his name was Steve. I thought, ‘This is excellent – his name is English’. It meant we would be able to communicate.”

Town in dreamland: Page 3