Radja Nainggolan: This is the story of my life
By Radja Nainggolan
I was born on the 4 May 1988 in Antwerp, Belgium, the second biggest city of this small nation.
My mother is Belgian and my father is Indonesian, so for this reason I grew up with the desire to discover the great culture of these two very different countries, along with the understanding that the important thing is to cherish all cultures and their history across the globe and respect each and every person.
I’ve never felt alone in my life. I have a splendid twin sister, Riana who’s also a footballer.
My passion for football began when I was five. Along with my sister, I began playing in Tubantia Borgehout, a small club from my town. When I was 10 I moved to Germinal Beerschot, a team in the Belgian top flight and that’s when I realised that football could have been my future, but in order to not disappoint my mother, I never stopped studying.
I arrived in Italy in 2005, at Piacenza. I understood immediately that Italian football was more difficult than the one I was used to, and for that reason I began working harder each day.
After three years, I moved from the Youth Academy into the first team.
In January 2010 I changed clubs and went to Cagliari.
What an amazing feeling, that first match in Serie A…
I’m used to always giving the most when I play, fighting over each ball. For this reason, the Sardinian fans began calling me ‘The Ninja’.
My mother has been a very important figure in my life. She taught me to fight in order to fulfil my dreams. After she died, I decided to tattoo my memory of her on to my skin.
Through the years, I’ve learned the importance of respecting the coach and always behaving well with my teammates. For this reason, I’ve always found it important to be well-loved by everyone in every team I’ve played for.
Now I’m wearing Roma’s strip. A huge responsibility. My effort on the pitch along with my fair play have made it possible for the fans to admire me and sing my name at the stadium.
It’s such a great feeling.
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