Football is a highly competitive game that requires toughness and character to deal with the inevitable adversity you most surely face as a player.
Even though football is all about winning and losing, there are times when a player will have to show absolute mental and physical resilience to save his team from forfeiting a game they seemed destined to lose.
Some players have this never say die attitude, and today, we will be looking at some of them. Here are five soccer players who never give up.
1. Sadio Mane
Mane is one of the toughest footballers that opponents can come up against. The Senegalese’s tireless running and single-minded relentlessness make him a player hard to defend or mark out from a game.
There have been countless times when his former team Liverpool FC would be in a tough spot, and Sadio would come to the rescue, scoring an important goal or providing a timely assist to win a match.
The Bayern Munich forward is definitely an asset to any team lucky to have him.
A good example that shows why Sadio Mané is a soccer player who never gives up was during the 2021 AFCON final against Egypt.
Despite missing a penalty in the game, Sadio Mané didn’t shy away from the penalty shootouts and took the last penalty, which he converted.
2. Harry Kane
Like an energizer battery that never seems to run out, Harry Kane can seem to run tirelessly for 90 minutes.
Kane is not just one of the soccer players who never give up, but is one of the best strikers in the world.
Even when it seems he hasn’t gotten the sniff of the ball all game, the English forward can, from nowhere, conjure up a goal to win a match or rescue a point.
The Tottenham striker is renowned for his mentality, grit, and work rate. He never gives up and is always the one who scores goals on the dying minutes of the game.
3. N’golo Kante
At his best, there is no other midfielder that can best the impressive French midfielder. He is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in football.
Kante has been likened to having three players on the pitch due to his all-action midfield work, including defending, pressing, and advancing with the ball.
N’golo’s tireless work has been appreciated by fans and teammates alike, who acknowledged that without his contributions, they probably won’t have won the matches they did.
4. Karim Benzema
The Real Madrid forward has stepped up his game in recent years.
The French forward has particularly more or less had to shoulder the goal-scoring responsibility for the team since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure a couple of seasons back.
The last UEFA Champions League campaign perfectly highlighted Benzema’s strength of character, leading his team to victory from losing positions.
He scored vital goals against Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea, and Manchester City to lead Los Blancos to the final and with their 14 Champions League trophy.
5. Ilkay Gundogan
The German midfielder has, in recent years, added more resilience and reliability to his game, especially with his club Man City.
Gundogan has, on a consistent basis, shown up for the Cityzens when things are not going so well to score important goals or provide assists to rescue a game.
When Manchester City need urgent goals to win the 2021/22 Premier League season on the last day, Ilkay Gundogan scored two goals which gave them an equalizer.
Ilkay is always a threat to the opposition for the full 90 minutes of a game.
