Arsenal product Chuba Akpom has revealed that he looked up to Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink during his formative years as a footballer, contrary to popular belief that Thierry Henry was his favourite player.

A retired Netherlands international, Hasselbaink played for Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Charlton Athletic and Cardiff City in England but the best period of his career in terms of goalscoring was spent at The Blues, for whom he scored 88 goals in all competitions.

Asked on the player he looked up to when growing up, Akpom told Don Dada in an Instagram conversation.: "You're not going to guess it. Everybody is probably thinking Thierry Henry right now but the guy that made me start playing football was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

"When he was at Leeds, that was my first memory of watching football, watching Leeds play and I saw Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and then he want to play for Chelsea, he was just my favorite player at the time.

"And then I started getting into more into Arsenal and I started watching Thierry Henry but mainly it was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink".

Akpom said the best advice he ever got from an individual was from former Arsenal attacking midfielder Tomas Rosicky, who told him to always believe in himself.

"The biggest advice I'd received from someone was from Tomas Rosicky, he liked me a lot, used to sit me down and speak to me.

"He said to me that he doesn't know if anyone else believes in me but I should believe in myself because he believes in me as well.

"For him to tell me that I should always believe in myself, coming from someone with experience gave me a big push.

"I have always remembered that, it has always been in my head throughout all my career," added Akpom.

Akpom made his Arsenal debut on the same day Mesut Ozil played his first game for the north London club - against Sunderland in September 2013.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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