Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has praised the work ethic and attacking quality of new Ghanaian signing Ibrahim Osman following his impressive debut for the club.
The 22-year-old winger enjoyed a dream start to life at St Andrew’s, scoring the opening goal in Birmingham’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City in the Championship. Osman dispossessed Ricardo Pereira before calmly finishing in the third minute to give his side an early advantage.
The important win lifted Birmingham to 10th place on the league table as they continue their push for promotion.
Also read: Hugo Ekitike explains why joining Liverpool was an ‘easy decision’
Speaking after the match, Davies highlighted Osman’s ability to combine flair with discipline, describing him as a key asset in both attack and defence.
“He’s been a great outlet for us. He’s got real speed and loves to go one-on-one,” Davies said. “I want him to take risks and be positive. I want him to keep that fearlessness.”
The manager, however, reserved special praise for the winger’s work rate and commitment without the ball.
“What I love most is that he combines that with hard work,” Davies added. “He runs, he presses, he does the dirty side of the game really well, and he showed that.”
Osman joined Birmingham on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion after a previous spell with French side AJ Auxerre, and his arrival has added energy and creativity to Davies’ squad.
The debut match also featured a stunning goal from Leicester City’s Ghanaian star Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, underlining the growing influence of Ghanaian players in English football.
With such an impressive start, Osman appears set to become an important figure for Birmingham as they target a strong finish in the second half of the season.