Perr Schuurs says Tolu Arokodare has a combination of physical power and playing style that he has rarely encountered during his professional career.
The Dutch centre-back was speaking after Ajax were held to a hard-fought 1-1 draw by NEC Nijmegen at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Saturday.
Schuurs, speaking to De Telegraaf in comments reported by Livescore, said the Nigeria international proved even more difficult to defend against than he had expected before the match.
“I had already expected a lot. But when the match started it was actually even more than I had thought beforehand,” Schuurs said.
Arokodare’s physical presence and preference for receiving the ball in the air or on his chest created a different problem for the defender, who has spent four years playing in the Eredivisie.
Schuurs subsequently moved to Italy’s Serie A with Torino, where he faced some of the league’s most powerful forwards, including Romelu Lukaku. However, he believes Arokodare’s approach is not directly comparable to that of the Belgium striker.
“Honestly, no. I played in the Eredivisie for four years and I had never come up against a striker like that. And in Italy you do not often see this type either,” Schuurs said.
“People mention Lukaku, but he is still a different type of player. Tolu wants the ball on his chest or in the air more often.”
The defender’s assessment came after Arokodare posed a consistent threat during the contest, with Schuurs highlighting the Nigerian forward’s unusual combination of size, strength and aerial ability.
Rather than relying solely on physical duels, Schuurs indicated that Arokodare’s movement and preference for contests involving high balls made him particularly difficult to contain across the full 90 minutes.
His comments also underlined the contrast between Arokodare and Lukaku, despite both forwards being associated with considerable physical power. For Schuurs, Arokodare’s ability to bring the ball under control on his chest or compete for it in the air makes him a less familiar type of opponent.
The 1-1 result left Ajax unable to claim victory in their meeting with NEC Nijmegen, while Schuurs’ post-match comments drew attention to the impression made by the Super Eagles forward.