The England international is among the Premier League’s most fouled players – in January, Planet Football calculated only Bruno Guimaraes and Jordan Ayew had been more targeted this season – but rather than get annoyed with the situation, which he thinks upsets his focus, he’s learned to take it as a compliment.
“I just think it’s me,” he told beIN SPORTS when asked how he’s able to smile in the heat of battle.
“When I go on the pitch I’m there to have fun and to enjoy. I would say I learned a lot over the last few seasons, when I started to get more and more tackles and defenders have started to enjoy more and more kicking me, I spoke to a few defenders and now I understand it.
“So for me, when I see a defender trying to smash me, as long as he doesn’t get me, I’m laughing or I’m smiling because I take it as a compliment.
“I don’t think a defender would be calling for help or a defender would want to smash me if he didn’t see me as a threat. So, for me, if he tries to smash me and I get away with it, I just laugh and just get on with the game, because I guess it’s part of it.
“Obviously, the defender is only trying to do his job and protect his goal, and I’m only trying to do my job and get towards his goal.
“So we’re all just trying to do our best for the team. I just try and keep my temper, because I know when I do lose my head, I don’t play well. I hope I haven’t given a secret to the opposition there.”
Asked who he’s chatted to, Saka continued: “I’m not going to say names because I feel like those conversations should stay between me and them, but I’ve had a few conversations with opposition, even sometimes the players here, when I ask, ‘why are you guys like this? Why do you just want to smash players?’
“They just explain to me so I understand and once I understand it’s easy for me to to get on with it more. As long as no one tackles me really, really badly [it’s okay] because obviously I don’t want to be injured or I don’t want to be playing through pain, I don’t think anyone wants that.
“It’s not something I want to come on here and be complaining about because it’s just going to get worse if I do.”
Saka is currently on a stunning run of form scoring eight goals in his last seven Premier League appearances to take his total tally for the season to 16 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
It appears that being a target suits him just fine.
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