Former Watford striker Troy Deeney has compared Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen to former Chelsea star Didier Drogba, pointing to their similar ability to trouble opposition defenders.

The Nigerian international had scored nine goals in domestic competitions before Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Stuttgart at Rams Park.

Osimhen has become a difficult opponent for defenders because of his physical strength, pace, movement and impressive work rate. Although he failed to score against Stuttgart, Galatasaray secured a comfortable 2-0 victory on Tuesday evening, with Aleksey Batrakov scoring twice in the first half.

Speaking before the match, Deeney praised Osimhen’s contribution to the team, stressing that his value goes beyond the number of goals he scores.

Asked what impresses him most about the striker, the former Watford captain told CBS Sports Golazo: “People will look at the goals. I look at his work rate. The ability to work that whole backline on his own.”

Deeney continued: “He plays one upfront, very similar to Didier Drogba in the fact that he occupies the whole backline, but what he also gives is that he runs in behind. He gives you that threat to show, link-up play is really strong, also willing to run the channels on his own.”

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The comparison highlights the qualities Osimhen shares with Drogba, particularly their physical presence, movement, ability to stretch defences and capacity to keep opposing defenders under pressure.