Moise Kean: How Balotelli, Ronaldo and Mancini have helped Juventus' young star

Just who is the 19-year-old Juventus striker who claims to be stealing all of Cristiano Ronaldo's football "secrets"?

Ronaldo scored the away goal that puts Juventus in charge of their Champions League quarter-final against Ajax, and is likely to be the center of attention at Tuesday's second leg in Turin – goal watch out for Moise Kean.

The teenager may not be a household name yet. But those in the know are tipping him to become one.

He has broken records in Italy and Europe, and has six goals in his six appearances for club and country. Even though Juve surprisingly lost at SPAL last weekend, he will surely finish the season as a Serie A title winner.

But what is his story? Why is he so good? And how has he taken inspiration from Mario Balotelli?

A home-grown hero

Kean was born on 28 February 2000, in northern Italy to Ivorian parents, and spent six years in Juventus' academy.

Even before he made his senior breakthrough, he was making an impact. His total of 24 goals in 25 games for Juve's reserves during the 2015-16 season to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and from Arsenal.

At 16, Kean has been offered a professional contract by Juventus. On November 19, 2016, he became the first-team beginner's club, aged 16 years, eight months and 23 days.

Three days later, he made more history in the first player in the 2000s to make his Champions League debut. On the final day of the 2016-17 season, he became the first footballer in the 21st century to score in Serie A, with a last-minute winner in a 2-1 victory at Bologna.

However, Kean made only four senior appearances during his debut campaign. So last season, he is heading to Verona in search of regular first-team football. His total goals could not be prevented, but the experience proved unverifiable.

A French football journalist Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues Podcast: "I think the loan spell was so good at a young age.

"Do you want to stay at a club like Juventus, where are you with Miralem Pjanic and Giorgio Chiellini? Or is it better to go for it? his case, at least it looks like it's a lot of good. "

Kean returned to Turin to find that Juve had signed Ronaldo from Real Madrid for £ 99.2m. His response? To take a football education from the new arrival.

"I learn from Cristiano Ronaldo in I steal his secrets," said Kean earlier this year. "I'm ready when the time comes.

"I know that I still have so many records to beat and I intend to beat them."

Revitalising a lost nation

Kean has been true to his word. In March, he set two more records at international level, as you go to start a match for Italy since 1912, and the youngest player ever to score in a competitive match for the Azzurri.

He scored in the first two starts for Italy, as they defeated Finland 2-0 and Liechtenstein 6-0 in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier.

Kean is one of several young players hoping to revitalize an Italian side which failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Italy boss Roberto Mancini, who replaced Gian Piero Ventura last May, Balotelli has a chance while in charge of Inter Milan.

Since taking over the national team, 19-year-old Nicolo Zaniolo before he had made his Serie A debut with Roma.

As Italian football expert James Horncastle told BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues Podcast, Mancini has played heavily on the Italy side that were runners-up to Portugal in the Under-19 European Championship last July.

Horncastle said: "Mancini has looked at the key players in the Under-19s team – Kean, Zaniolo and Sandro Tonali, who plays in Serie B with Brescia, and said: 'I want these players in the first team for the Nations League and the Euro qualifiers. '

"This is an Italian side that wants to play pbading football, which wants to be on the front and does not believe you will be anywhere in the world.

"There are a lot of new faces."

Mancini's faith in these Kean seems to have paid off. They have won their past three games under the new boss and are unbeaten in six.

"Kean took the opportunity with two hands," said Horncastle. "There was something wonderful about the goal against Liechtenstein.

"The cross came in Leonardo Spinazzola and Fabio Quagliarella, who scored twice that evening, nodded the ball down for Kean. lot of enthusiasm. "

Balotelli and the 'University of Football'

Kean's development with a country club and a lot to Balotelli.

The train Manchester City striker attracted a fair few negative headlines in England – for incidents such as throwing darts at a youth player and accidentally setting his bathroom alight with fireworks. But he has been a positive influence on Kean.

Balotelli was born to African parents, like Kean, and moved to Lombardy at the age of two. Both players have suffered racist abuse during their football careers.

"Kean has spoken to Balotelli about his experiences," said Horncastle. There are 10 years between them, and Balotelli has told him that he has.

"The emergence of Kean has been politicized in Italy, the citizenship laws are discriminatory essentially If you are born and raised of parents who are not Italian, you have to wait till 18 to be named an Italian citizen.

"Kean, because his parents have been in Italy for 30 years, but he has been asked about this." Kean and Balotelli are seen as symbols of this. "

Kean's agent, Mino Raiola, has also encouraged the striker to learn from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Ronaldo's influence on the training has already proven to a large factor in his development.

Horncastle says Kean has been describing Juventus as "a University of Football" given the wealth of his talent and he has been awarded by Ajax and AC Milan as a result.

Strength, pace and hunger

Kean, who has six goals and one badist in this series Balotelli – matching strength and power with pace and intelligence.

Juventus boss Mbadimiliano Allegri has recently said Kean "needed to stay at Juve to grow technically, train and play with the champions, but to improve mentally".

He showed his value by coming on the back of a winner against AC Milan on April 6, but can still improve, as Spanish football expert Guillem Balague told the Euro Leagues Podcast.

"Kean has got the ability to run into space and does not like to touch the ball that much," Balague said. "He has got a lot of strength and pace in the first 15 meters, he does not feel comfortable and makes mistakes."

Ajax beware, though. As Horncastle notes, Kean is making rapid strides.

He said: "You have to look at the precociousness of this kid, it is really astounding.

"He is a center-forward but is prepared to play out." He is just willing to do whatever he wants to do. hunger. "