KEVIN DANSO wanted to be an action star rather than a footballer as a kid – now he is ready to unleash his long throw lethal weapon at Manchester City.
Austria international Danso will likely be the one launching the ball with his hands should Spurs get a throw-in at the Etihad in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.
GettyKevin Danso is ready to unleash his long-throw lethal weapon against Man City[/caption]
He has become Tottenham’s long-throw specialist under Thomas Frank.
But Danso would be involved in set pieces of a different kind had he followed his original dream of being in the movies rather than football.
Recalling his childhood, the centre-back, 26, said: “My brothers, my dad, everybody, used to watch football. I wanted to watch action films because that’s what I wanted to be. I wanted to be an action film star.
“Like Jean Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Jackie Chan. Those three in particular. Chuck Norris and stuff like that.
“Because I have older brothers and I was the youngest, you see those films and think, ‘Oh that’s so cool, this is something I want to do’.”
Danso, who moved to England from Austria aged six, found football boring – at least to watch, anyway – until he fell in love with the game when joining MK Dons at Under-9 level.
Actually playing the game quickly had him hooked on it, but it did not lessen his passion for the action flicks which remains just as strong today.
Danso added: “I’m constantly watching them. Not just before games.
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“There are so many but if I had to pick a favourite then it would definitely be ‘Drunken Master’. I’ve watched it like 200 times. It’s Jackie Chan.
“I just liked martial arts back then so that was my go-to. Like Van Damme in ‘The Quest’, stuff like that. (I like) the discipline and resilience. That warrior aspect of fighting.
Jon BondKevin Danso dished out food to rough sleepers in London at homeless charity The Passage[/caption]
“In all those action movies they would get (the main character) down and then they would get back up, that always appealed to me.”
Asked if he has a bit of that never-say-die spirit himself when he plays football, Danso replied: “100 per cent. You go onto the pitch, you put your body on the line for your team-mates and in those films (the motivation is) always normally because of family.”
And how about today against City, does he see powerhouse striker Erling Haaland as the villain of the show that he must defeat to ensure Spurs prevail?
Danso answered: “Not quite a villain! But he’s the opposition, you’ve got to do everything in your power to stop him playing well.”
Spurs will be looking to do damage to City themselves and could find some joy through Danso’s long throws.
He declared: “It’s a great way to create chances and to score goals.
“It’s something you work on because it can become a weapon.”
After four clubs and three countries in the first part of his career, Danso feels like he has found a home at Tottenham.
The Austrian defender, born to Ghanaian parents and who moved to Milton Keynes aged six, has quickly become part of the Spurs family after having his loan from Lens turned permanent this summer.
No doubt that was aided by helping the North Londoners to their first trophy in 17 years with May’s Europa League triumph – a feat is reminded of every time he turns on his favourite action movie in his living room.
Danso explained: “My medal is just in front of my TV at the moment, next to my Champions League Man of the Match trophy, but I’ll find a special place for it.
“It serves as motivation at the same time as watching TV, it’s like ‘I want some more of those’, that’s definitely the goal.
“I grew up in Milton Keynes, not too far from here and this is now one of the places I call home. It’s somewhere I feel comfortable and somewhere I appreciate.”
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The close bond Danso feels within the Spurs dressing room still appears to be intact, despite Ange Postecoglou, the man who masterminded the Europa win, being sacked in the summer.
Much of that likely has to do with the light touch of his successor, Frank, who the players have quickly taken a shine to.
The Dane has even convinced Cristian Romero to become captain and sign a new contract, despite looking like he wanted to leave the club just a few months before.
Danso never had any doubts the World Cup winner was an ideal choice to follow the outgoing Son Heung-min as skipper – and has even been boosting his lines of communication with the Argentine.
The defender, who speaks English, German, French and Ghanaian, said: “I’m trying to learn Spanish.
“If you speak the language that someone comprehends a lot more then it’s easier to communicate in that language and give them a better understanding of what’s going on.
“I’m just learning from being around the Spanish speakers, listening to their conversations. That’s how I learnt French in France.
“Sometimes they’ll say stuff to me in Spanish and I’ll just try to figure out what it means.
“Romero’s an amazing guy. In the dressing room he’s really calm and easy-going. But on the pitch is where you see that warrior side so if you see him get stuck in to a tackle. It gives you confidence.
“I love that. As a defender sometimes you need that aggression. That’s a leading (trait), if you think back to old centre-backs, the John Terrys, the Vidics.”
Frank has already shown he will mix up his tactics more often than Postecoglou, and is likely to revert to a back three – including Danso – at Manchester City today.
While the 51-year-old puts a lot of stock in set-pieces, making Danso the team’s long-throw specialist following a squad audition for the role in pre-season.
Danso, whose impressive power may have been enhanced by playing rugby as a kid, revealed: “Everyone had an opportunity to do some throw-ins.
“I was surprised, a lot of people throw really far. Some didn’t throw quite as far…
“We had to land the ball in a certain area and then distance was important as well. Then they were looking at our technique as well.
“I think I finished top. I could always throw far. In a game it’s a bit easier, you have more adrenaline and you can throw a bit further.”
Jon BondDanso is a keen altruist with work in London as well as back in Austria[/caption]
This week Danso put on a different kind of service by doling out food for rough sleepers in London at homeless charity The Passage, where he has become an ambassador.
It follows the defender’s altruistic work back in Voitsberg, Austria with his foundation DANnSO, which looks to support young people who need it to help fulfil their potential using education methods and tools.
While he also has a football academy in Duahyaw-Nkwanta, Ghana, which uses the beautiful game as a platform to give young children opportunity not only to play, but also to access food, water and education.
Explaining his motivation behind his passion for helping others, Danso said: “It wasn’t easy when I got to the UK, I didn’t speak the language.
“Friends from school and their parents would read to me to help me.
“Everywhere we’ve been, someone has always been there to give a helping hand and for me that’s just… nobody gets where they want to get to on their own.
“You always need that helping hand so it’s important to me to be that person as much as possible because I had it wherever I went from so many different people.
“The UK has given me something that is part of my identity so I wanted to do something to give back here. I was looking for something that would actually make a real difference. It’s one of the main reasons I chose The Passage.”
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