Friday 24 July 2015 16:07, UK
African Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala says she moved to "special club" Liverpool because she is determined to become the best player she can be.
The Player of the Tournament and Golden Boot winner at last year's U20 Women's World Cup joined Liverpool in January from River Angels in her native Nigeria.
Oshoala has scored three goals in seven league appearances for reigning FA WSL 1 champions Liverpool since making the switch to Merseyside earlier this year.
"I desperately wanted to improve as a player and that’s why I left Nigeria to see the way football is being played in another part of the world," Oshoala told Sky Sports.
"I had played in the Nigerian league for three years and felt it was the time for me to move on and try and improve my game.
"Liverpool is a very special club. It's not a team where you can just sit and do nothing. This is a team that works really hard and a place where players learn. That’s why they've won the league several times and they are champions.
“I came to Liverpool to improve and I think coming here was a good choice for me.”
Oshoala also featured for Nigeria at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada, playing a starring role in one of the matches of the tournament as the Super Falcons rallied from 2-0 down to draw 3-3 with Sweden.
Oshoala’s second-half strike drew Nigeria level at 2-2 and the 20-year-old forward admits she relished playing on the international stage in the biggest competition in women’s football.
“We played against some very tough teams at the World Cup and I think we were very unlucky in some of the games,” she said.
“Getting a goal for your nation is always good but it was also my first senior World Cup and that was also a crucial goal.
“There was no secret to the comeback. It was just one of those things where we went to the dressing room 2-0 down at half-time but we didn’t allow that disturb us mentally. We just said to ourselves we can still do it and we came back out for the second half and were able to make it 3-3.
“It was a great experience for me being my first World Cup. It was an honour to play in the competition with the senior team and it was a privilege representing my team and Africa.
“I really was very happy and I did my best at the World Cup.”
Oshoala picked up an injury and was forced to limp off in last weekend’s 2-1 FA WSL 1 defeat to Notts County, along with England midfielder Fara Williams.
The pair, along with summer recruit Satara Murray, missed Thursday‘s Continental Cup win against Everton and now face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
