Brentford star Michael Kayode has admitted he has now idea how he ended up as the ‘Premier League’s long-throw king’.
The Brentford defender has been speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport about various topics, including long-throws and his new role for the Bees.
Long throws are back in fashion in the Premier League this season, with pretty much every team deciding to adopt them.
Brentford are the leaders on that front, thanks to Kayode. He has a Premier League leading average long throw distance of 33.2m this season. His longest to date was measured at 38.52m. He is currently considered the Premier League’s most prolific long-throw specialist.
His technique, which uses a flat, fast trajectory, has been drawing comparisons to the now infamous Rory Delap throws from his time at Stoke City. He once managed a throw that hit 45 metres. The Guinness World Record, for comparison, is 59.8m.
While Kayode hasn’t been getting anywhere near that, his throws have certainly been useful for Brentford this season. His long throws have directly led to two goals already, while six of his long throws have led to a shot. That’s more than any other player in the Premier League.
It seems, though, that the Brentford man has absolutely no idea how he ended up in this position.
“Honestly, I can’t tell you. It’s not something I’ve trained for: it’s all natural,” he said.
“Once I discovered I had it, I started from there. But I think there’s still room for improvement. The only thing I try to do is put it in. I don’t look for a teammate, I try to put it in, to make a mess. But honestly, nothing special.
“I think a corner, having more power and trajectory, is easier to save. On the other hand, a throw-in, which doesn’t come with the same force but creates a mess, is more difficult to save. Often the ball just sits there, and sometimes a teammate gets it and scores.”
