A-Z of Football with Cyle Larin

A is for… Atmosphere

Best atmosphere you’ve played in?

Playing for Beşiktaş in Turkey, that was crazy.

Beşiktaş fans in full voice

B is for… Banter

Funniest player you’ve shared a dressing room with?

Ryan Manning. He never stops!

C is for… Celebration

Favourite goal celebration in football history?

I used to love Didier Drogba’s celebration.

Didier Drogba wheels away after scoring at Wembley

D is for… Dream

What would be your ultimate football dream?

To win the World Cup.

E is for… Embarrassed

Most humiliating moment?

I can’t really think of anything for that, thankfully!

F is for… Friend

Best mate in football?

Tajon Buchanan and Richie Laryea. I’ve been playing with those guys in the national team for a few years now.

G is for… Goal

Best goal you have ever scored?

The one against Wrexham was pretty nice! I was happy with that one.

H is for… Hardman

Toughest player you have come across?

Antonio Rüdiger, for Real Madrid when I was at Mallorca. He was just so aggressive and physical, it was a constant battle.

Real Madrid centre-back Antonio Rüdiger is a famously fiery customer

I is for… Idol

Player you looked up to as a boy?

Didier Drogba was my hero. I used to watch Chelsea a lot when I was younger, and he scored so many big goals for them.

J is for… Job

What would you do if you weren’t a footballer?

Probably an exercise rider – they train horses in the mornings to help keep them fit.

K is for… Kit

Favourite ever football shirt?

Nigeria have had some amazing jerseys over the years, so I would say one of those.

Nigeria's eye-catching 2018 World Cup kit

L is for… Losing

What’s been the toughest loss of your career?

There have been many, but when I was at Real Valladolid we had to win the last game to stay up and we didn’t win. We drew 0-0 with Getafe and it was not enough to keep us in the league.

M is for… Match

Best match you’ve played in?

Ever? I’m not sure, there have been so many special games. Hopefully the best one is still to come!

N is for… Notable

Football memento you will never give away?

I have a pair of Ronaldo’s boots, the Brazilian. He was the owner of Real Valladolid and he would always come into the changing room after the games. I have a pair of his yellow boots that he wore in the World Cup, and he signed them for me.

Ronaldo and his yellow boots at the 2006 World Cup

O is for… Opponent

Best player you’ve faced?

That’s hard to pick one! I’ll give you three that have really stood out to me: Luka Modrić, Pedri and Kylian Mbappé.

Larin in action against Luke Modrić at the 2022 World Cup

P is for… Pride

Proudest football achievement?

Winning three trophies at Beşiktaş was pretty special. We won the league and cup double, and then we won the Turkish Super Cup.

Q is for… Quote

Something someone said that always stuck with you?

There will be loads of advice that I’ve taken on board in my career, but no specific quote comes to mind off the top of my head.

R is for… Routine

What does pre-match look like for you?

When I arrive at the stadium I always do my activation first, and then I get my massage and do some mobility exercises on the treatment table before the warm-up. I always put on my socks first, then my shinpads, then my boots – it doesn’t matter which foot comes first, but it has to be in that order!

S is for… Support

Which team did you follow as a boy?

Chelsea.

T is for… Teammate

Best player you’ve played with?

Kaká. I played with him at Orlando City, he was unbelievable.

Kaká, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2007, pictured in the colours of Orlando City

U is for… Unbelievable

Something about you we wouldn’t expect?

I own five horses.

V is for… Visitor

Favourite away ground?

Real Betis. Their old, traditional stadium – it’s being redeveloped at the moment, but I loved playing there.

Real Betis' Estadio Benito Villamarín

W is for… Worst

Worst thing about being a footballer?

People probably don’t realise how much it takes over your life. Everything you do is geared around your recovery from the last game and your preparation for the next game – everything you do, everything you eat. There’s a lot of unseen sacrifice that goes into being the best player you can be.

X is for… X-ray

Worst injury you have suffered?

I’ve never had anything major. I had a hamstring injury at Feyenoord and a quad injury at Beşiktaş, but both times were only two or three weeks, so it wasn’t too long.

Y is for… Youngsters

What piece of advice would you give an aspiring footballer?

Just keep working, even if things aren’t going your way or it doesn’t feel like you’re getting anywhere. Just keep going, because you don’t have to be the most talented player to make it.

Z is for… Zzzzzz

Whose banter could send you to sleep?

No one at Southampton! They have all been great with me, so I appreciate all my teammates.

This interview was originally published inside SAINTS, the club’s matchday programme, for the Sky Bet Championship match against Bristol City in April. Back issues from the 2025-26 season are available to buy online.

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