Black Stars attacker Fatawu Issahaku has credited Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca for being influential in the discovery of his form.

After a brief difficult period in Portugal, Issahaku found his stride after joining Leicester City on loan under the tutelage of then-coach Maresca.

The 20-year-old scored six goals and provided 13 assists in the Championship, playing a key role in the Foxes’ return to the English Premier League.

"I think it is the confidence he gave me, how he guided me during the league,” Fatawu said on JoyPrime. “When I got the opportunity, I got more confidence. That was why it was easier to put out what I [did]. It was just something that I was not surprised about.”

He will no longer be working with Maresca, who has joined Chelsea and been replaced by Steve Cooper.

Fatawu’s form extended to the national level, where he scored and assisted during June’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.