Rangers Nigerian midfielder says Henry, Drogba shaped his football dream

Midfield is where Rangers star Tochi Chukwuani now does most of his work, but the 22-year-old has revealed that his football journey actually began much further up the pitch, Footynaija reports.

The Denmark-born player explained that, as a youngster, he was known more for scoring goals than controlling games in midfield. During his early years at B1973 Herlev, Chukwuani operated as a centre-forward and built a reputation for finding the back of the net regularly.

Speaking in an interview with Rangers’ official YouTube channel, he said: “No, actually when I started at this club (B1973 Herlev) I was a striker. I used to score a lot of goals. My idols at the time were Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba – those kinds of strikers.”

A first Ibrox Stadium reception for three of @RangersFC‘s latest arrivals 🔵

Tochi Chukwuani, Tuur Rommens and the just-announced Andreas Skov Olsen are introduced to the home crowd 🙌#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/T71pN87XSh

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) January 16, 2026

Those early influences reflected the type of player he once hoped to become, with Henry’s elegance and Drogba’s power shaping his attacking ambitions as a young footballer.

However, Chukwuani’s path changed after he moved to Akademisk Boldklub, where coaches began to see him as a midfielder rather than an out-and-out striker. The adjustment meant stepping away from the penalty box, although the love for scoring never quite disappeared.

“It was only after I moved to my second club that I got moved down to play in midfield. I always loved scoring and getting that feeling of putting the ball in the net,” he explained.

Rangers have signed Danish midfielder Tochi Chukwuani from Strum Graz on a three-and-a-half-year deal ✍️#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/0qcd5jUk6u

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) January 11, 2026

Before joining Rangers during the winter transfer window, Chukwuani spent an important period with Austrian side SK Sturm Graz, where he made 62 appearances across competitions, scoring four goals and adding three assists.

Since arriving in Scotland, the midfielder has quickly settled into life at Ibrox, making six league appearances as he continues to grow into his new role.

Born in Denmark to Nigerian parents, Chukwuani has represented Denmark at youth level from Under-16 through to Under-21. Yet he remains eligible to switch international allegiance to Nigeria, as he has not played for Denmark’s senior team.