Real Madrid Striker Luka Jovic Says He Was Born to Score Goals

Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic has said he was born with a natural talent to score goals.

The Serbia international moved to Real from Eintracht Frankfurt last month for £52.4 million after a 2018-19 campaign in which he netted 17 Bundesliga goals and 10 in 14 matches in the UEFA Europa League.

He and Eden Hazard are Real's two key attacking signings of the summer, and they will be crucial next term as Los Blancos attempt to win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League again.

Per The Players' Tribune, Jovic is supremely confident in his ability to score goals:

"Sometimes I think I was just born with it. Everyone in this life has certain talents, and I think mine is scoring goals. I don't know how I ended up playing as a striker, but as far back as I can remember I've always been obsessed with scoring. When I was a child, I used to have these two VHS tapes of all the goals from every single World Cup up to 2006, I think.

"I remember being mesmerised by Roger Milla from Cameroon at the '90 World Cup, and of course Ronaldo—the Original Ronaldo. I was obsessed with how he did that step-over dribble against goalkeepers. I remember it being so fast, like a magician's trick, and I would practice how to do it at home. Ronaldo would play football with such ease, almost as if he was at 30%, and I thought it was incredible. His style and confidence left a mark on me. I guess my coaches must have seen that instinct in me, because they put me at striker from my very first steps in football."

Jovic's move to Real is the peak of a remarkable rise to prominence, which has seen him already feature for some of Europe's most storied clubs.

The 21-year-old started his career at Red Star Belgrade and spent two years in the first team before signing for Benfica. If he can reproduce the goalscoring form he showed at Frankfurt at the Santiago Bernabeu, he will be worth Real's outlay on him.

The Madrid giants endured a rough season by their lofty standards in 2018-19.

They were knocked out the Champions League at the last-16 stage and were a distant third to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in La Liga:

One of their biggest problems was a lack of goals. Their league return of 63 was their worst in any season since 1999-2000, and Cristiano Ronaldo's absence was the obvious problem:

In Jovic and Hazard, they may well have found a duo capable of filling the hole left by the Portuguese superstar.