The game of football at the professional level requires not only players with quick feet but with a sharp mind as well. As the level of the game goes higher, technical skills are overtaken by the ability of a player to be mentally quick. The professional game is played at the highest level and every professional is more or less gifted with abundance in terms of technicality and ball skills. The great players stand out from the regular ones on one basis, their use of the brain.
The game is decided in a split second and players are judged on the few moments they get on the ball. The game is even more difficult for the strikers and goalkeepers who unlike the midfielders see lesser of the ball but the magnitude of their little time is significantly more than the playmakers and tacklers in the midfield.
For a striker, the game is more in the mind than anything. A good striker is never short on confidence. Their mental strength has to be on point every single time they step on the pitch, whether it be once in a month or for ninety minutes every time their team plays a match.
It is therefore difficult for strikers called upon from the bench to make an impact as chances are harder to come by and the stakes are always high. The stories of back up strikers are the ones which go wrong most often and their careers are never judged by correct parameters.
A peek at the case of Leonardo Ulloa is a prime example. The 31-year old Argentine moved to Leicester City in 2014 for a club record deal of £8 million on a four-year deal. He was seen as a prime signing to help Leicester survive in the English Premier League. Three and a half years down the line, he is now possibly the sixth choice back up in the team and is no longer a priority player in the squad.
He has fallen behind Jamie Vardy, Shinji Okazaki, Kelechi Iheanacho, Islam Slimani and Ahmed Musa in the pecking order. The Argentine has made over 80 appearances for the club scoring almost 20 goals. He contributed with six goals and 29 appearances in Leicester’s title-winning season including a winner at Norwich City that sent the Foxes fans into a frenzy.
It appears that the unwanted striker may still be able to rejuvenate his career with Aston Villa interested in him. As a striker, he is hard working but never got the chance to shine owing to the brilliance of Vardy. Villa are sixth in the Championship table and fighting for a playoff spot. Their scoring problems, however, remain strong with the club just scoring 31 goals in 23 matches and Ulloa could be the answer to a promotion next season.