Online Reporter
REAL MADRID-BOUND Yan Diomande could be Prime Minister of the Ivory Coast once his blossoming football career has run its course.
At least according to AS Frenzi owner Wayne Dorman, who reckons the 16-year-old he used to ferry to training in the American lower leagues has the personality to conquer just about anything.
Winning over the Bernabeu crowd will be no mean feat once Diomande, now 19, has completed his nine-figure switch from RB Leipzig.
But the teenage winger has come through far tougher tests to get to this point.
Diomande made a gut-wrenching solo move from the Ivory Coast to America all on his own at 15 years old, leaving his family behind.
He then mourned the loss of his beloved sister Roxane, who died in her teens after her drink was spiked at a party.
Father figure Dorman became a treasured sounding board at that tough time in Diomande’s life. And he reckons the homesickness and heartache have equipped him for the demands of overnight stardom.
Dorman told SunSport: “I think, after football, he could be the leader of his country someday. He’s got that kind of demeanour.
“Even being around him, just the way he talks, he is mature for his age. I look at him and see that he is mature, the way he carries himself, he will be successful in whatever he does.
“It definitely helped him, being away and learning to be on his own. He missed his family. He talked about his mom and his family a lot.
“I just tried to make him as comfortable as possible. I was a father figure in that aspect. I tried to explain to him what life was about.
“I’m just looking at the person that he is. He’s 19, I know he’s going to make mistakes, but right now he’s a grounded guy.
“I see a lot of stuff on social media every day and he’s got to be focused. He’s got to be mentally strong to deal with all the stuff that is going on with him right now.”
Diomande scored 12 goals and set up eight more in the Bundesliga last season – and then caught the eye with a handful of lively performances at the World Cup.
A tussle between several of the world’s top clubs followed before Real swooped in with an offer he could not refuse. Los Blancos and Leipzig are now haggling over a fee.
It is almost unfathomable that the youngster has reached this status within two years of playing regional football in Florida.
And perhaps even more perplexing that clubs like Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Rangers turned him down after trials.
But Dorman knew he was onto something the first time he saw that Diomande had the ability to match his presidential charisma.
He recalled:
“The first game we played was against the champions from the year before and we demolished them 5-1. I saw a couple of things that made it clear he was next level.
“In the national championship finals, they asked me for a bio for each player, and after talking to Yan and learning what his mindset was, the only thing I wrote next to his name was ‘will play professionally’.
“We saw him blossom and helped put the right pieces together, allowed him to do his thing and he just excelled. He did brilliantly.” – Sun
