Celebrating African Legends: Adebayor and Kanu Through the Eyes of Danny Mills
Completesports.com continues its special series spotlighting the enduring impact of African greats in the Premier League, this time with former England and Manchester City defender, Danny Mills, reflecting on the brilliance of Emmanuel Adebayor and Nwankwo Kanu.
Mills, who faced both legendary strikers during his career, paid glowing tributes to their unique qualities – Adebayor’s explosive power and Kanu’s mesmerising natural ability – while also situating them within an era he described as “littered with unbelievable attacking talents.”
Adebayor: Arsenal Star, City Arrival and a Memorable Goal
Speaking exclusively to Completesports.com, supported by WhichBookie, Mills described Emmanuel Adebayor as a striker with “strength, power and unpredictability.”
“I once played against Adebayor when he was at Arsenal. He’s strong, powerful and unpredictable,” Mills recalled.
Adebayor arrived in England with Arsenal in 2006, where he scored 46 goals in 104 matches before joining Manchester City in 2009, just as Mills was leaving the club. He later featured for Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, leaving behind an indelible mark on the English game.
“Adebayor was maybe a more powerful striker, with running power and finish. He was more of a traditional striker – strong, powerful, quick, scored all types of goals. I remember him mostly when he scored at the Etihad [against Arsenal], ran the length of the pitch within the east side in front of the Arsenal fans. Yeah, it didn’t go down particularly well – getting all sorts of abuse throughout the game,” Mills recounted.
Kanu: The Languid Genius Who Couldn’t Be Stopped
While Adebayor was revered for his physical dominance, Mills reserved a special kind of respect for Nwankwo Kanu, describing the Nigerian icon as blessed with extraordinary natural talent.
Also Read: ‘Kanu Is My Idol, god Of Football’ –Adebayor
“Kanu – when he went to Arsenal was sort of unknown. Seemed he had like size 15ft, you know. But he had this unbelievable ability to do the drag, I don’t know, flip-flop – whatever they call it down there. You knew what he was going to do – he was going to open his foot up and drag it inside you, maybe probably through your legs, but you couldn’t stop it,” Mills said.
The former Super Eagles captain won two African Player of the Year awards (1996 and 1999) and spent five years at Arsenal, scoring 30 goals in 119 games. He was part of the 2003/04 Invincibles squad, before later stints at West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth, where he helped the club win the FA Cup in 2008.
“Kanu was one of those that was 6ft 2, 6ft 3 – I don’t know – ridiculously tall, languid, but had unbelievable ability. I would say Kanu had a lot more natural ability than Adebayor,” Mills observed.
The Golden Era of EPL Strikers
For Mills, the period when Adebayor and Kanu shone in the Premier League was part of a golden generation of strikers, a time he believes was far tougher for defenders compared to the present day.
“I may be unbiased, but I look back – I think 10, 15 years ago, the Premier League was littered with attacking talents. Every single team had two or three great strikers. I’m not sure you can say the same in this day and age.”
The former Leeds United full-back drew comparisons between African greats and English stars, noting the physicality of the league back then:
“You had Adebayor, Kanu, Drogba, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham, Hernan Crespo, Mark Viduka, Robbie Fowler, Alan Smith, Ian Wright – it was just team after team with unbelievable strikers. Every team was very, very difficult to play against. It was way more physical, much harder. You had to have the physicality. That’s where Drogba, especially, was magnificent.”
Rooney vs Kane – And Why the Old School Was Tougher
Mills also contrasted strikers of his era with today’s top forwards, making a telling comparison between Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane.
Also Read: Kanu Defends Enyimba Reforms, Urges Critics To Be Fair And Supportive
“Harry Kane’s numbers are better, but I would rather play against Harry Kane every day of the week. Because Rooney had absolutely everything – pace, power, would beat you in the air, would knock you over, would nutmeg you, twist you in circles, outwork you, outrun you, with incredible match intelligence and game awareness. That was sensational. Rooney was unplayable at times.”
He added that changes in officiating have also made it easier for modern strikers:
“Players have to be a little bit cute in this day and age – but there’s no physical contact. They’re not getting bumped, blocked at every run, grabbed off the ball, taken down. Every opportunity where it’s a foul now it’s almost a straight red card. For strikers it was much, much harder to score goals 10, 15 years ago.”
Adebayor, Kanu: Legacy of African Legends
Adebayor and Kanu may have brought different styles to the Premier League – one through sheer power, the other with elegant unpredictability – but together, they helped shape the identity of African footballers in England.
Their legacies continue to inspire today’s generation of African talents striving to make their mark on the world’s most competitive league.
By Nnamdi Ezekute
