Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has opened up on a bitter experience he had with landlords while growing up.

He recalled painful memories of his childhood in Olusosun, a densely populated slum area in Lagos, revealing how poverty defined his early years.

In a chat with Players’ Tribune, the 27-year-old forward recounted how his family struggled to survive in a single room apartment after his mother’s death.

According to him, his father had lost his job as a driver following the death of his mother and was forced to take up menial work washing dishes in a police department kitchen to earn a small stipend.

The income, he said, was not enough to cover rent and basic needs for the seven members of the household.

“I remember one night when I was about 12, the landlord had enough. He cut off the power to our apartment. We were sitting in the dark in one room, all seven of us, no TV, nothing. I went outside and sat next to a gutter and started crying,” Osimhen said.

He further revealed that the situation worsened when the landlord removed part of the roof of their apartment under the pretext of carrying out repairs.

“Our house barely had a roof. It was starting to cave in, and so the landlord said, ‘OK, I will fix it. Do not worry.’ He sent some guys over, and they took half the roof off and never came back,” he added.

Osimhen said most families in the neighbourhood survived by reselling scraps from the nearby landfill, while he took on menial jobs and handed over his earnings to his siblings to help buy food and pay rent.

“Everything I earned, I gave to my siblings to buy food and pay the rent. Most nights, I actually slept in the church,” he said.

Osimhen has often spoken about how poverty shaped his determination and drive to succeed in professional football.

It was reported that his early struggles has shaped a relentless drive that is visible in every match he played most times.

During Nigeria’s 4-0 AFCON win over Mozambique, Osimhen displayed visible frustration when he felt a pass was denied.

He exchanged words with teammates and walked to the tunnel after being substituted.

The coaching staff described it as a moment of passion, driven by intensity and desire to win.

Just recently, he admitted feeling humiliated over a social media post mocking a penalty miss while at Napoli.

His candid remarks reflects the same sensitivity he developed growing up in poverty.

Yet that intensity also fuels his best performances.

Fans and analysts note his constant pressing, relentless work rate, and willingness to create opportunities for others.

(Daily Trust)

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