'Leader' Emmanuel Latte Lath Wants Union Berlin Teammates To Follow His Drive

Emmanuel Latte Lath looking to make 'global experience' count in Bundesliga© AFP

There aren't many players in modern football at the moment who can boast of the sort of experience that Union Berlin forward Emmanuel Latte Lath has. From making his debut in Italy for Atalanta to playing in different countries such as Switzerland, the USA, England, and now playing in Germany, Emmanuel's career has been quite a journey so far. In a chat with NDTV, the Ivory Coast striker reflected on a career defined by resilience, steady growth, and continuous learning; the forward shared insights on his personal journey and his mindset on leadership.

Emmanuel's senior career began at Atalanta in 2016. What followed was a series of loan spells across Italy with clubs such as Pescara, Carrarese, Pro Patria, and SPAL, before a breakout stint at Swiss side St. Gallen and a standout spell at Middlesbrough in England. It was his stint in the English Championship that made MLS side Atlanta United break the bank for him, making him their record-breaking transfer. However, things didn't work out quite well for him there.

When asked by NDTV what advice he would give to his 16-year-old self at the start of this path, Latte Lath pointed to self-determination:

"Take more decisions for myself, not let people take decisions for me. This is the main thing I can say to young Emmanuel," he said.

For a player who spent years moving between clubs on temporary assignments before proving his goalscoring credentials, taking full ownership of his career decisions has proven to be quite a learning experience.

Now facing a challenging campaign in Germany's top flight with Union Berlin, Emmanuel believes leadership goes far beyond wearing a captain's armband. For him, leadership starts with work rate and defensive output, even for him, irrespective of the fact that he is playing for Union Berlin as a centre forward.

"I think I'll always be a leader, but not with the captain's armband. As a striker, I'm the first defender. So I want to bring this, the hunger I have to win games or to be competitive. These things help me, and I want the team to follow me."

Emmanuel opened his Bundesliga goalscoring account with a strike in the 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. However, when Union played against defending champions Bayern Munich, it turned out to be a lifelong lesson in football. Bayern won the game 7-0, handing Union one of their worst defeats in history.

While the club would want to forget that match, for Emmanuel, such fixtures offer the opportunity of an invaluable lesson masterclass, especially as he came up against the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and others.

"Football is a journey of learning things. As a striker, I always try to steal something from them, maybe some movement, an action, or seeing how they think in pressure situations. You try to steal and catch things. It's a long journey, so I think I can steal a lot from them."

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