Shedeur Sanders, with talent brimming and a pedigree to boot, is well on his way to achieving big things in football. However, no matter what Shedeur does in the game, he would always have his dad’s name attached to him. Such is the larger-than-life legacy of Deion Sanders. While it is a privilege in many ways, the challenges of living, and playing, under the shadow of an illustrious father is daunting. Soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović, a father to a young pro himself, advised Shedeur on how to deal with the pressure.
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Ibrahimović appeared on the 2Legendary podcast to talk about fame, cars, and professionalism. Shedeur candidly asked the Swedish former pro how his stardom impacted his children when they entered the professional arena.
Zlatan remarked that his children face the same problem as Deion Sanders‘ kids Shedeur and Shilo: a famous dad in their field of work. While it is unfair, comparisons are inevitable. Ibrahimović added:
“You have too much pressure because if the father was a legend I mean but you get much more pressure than the other ones and that is not fair to be honest. It is not your fault your father is a legend. You love the same sport as him and you’re doing the same thing like he did.”
Zlatan told the quarterback that people would always expect him to become as good as his dad, or even better. The benchmark is set. The advice the former striker gave was pretty uncomplicated too.
No matter what, “do not compare yourself to your dad,” said Zlatan, adding that is important for Shedeur to remember that he has his own path to trace, and his own destiny to follow.
Aim to enter the professional world for himself and not for his dad, advised Ibrahimović, revealing that he told his kids the same.
Zlatan is protective of his children, and wants to be there for them. However, he is aware that they need to grow on their own too. He has tried to strike a balance between being a protective dad and a mentor as a former pro ever since his son, Maximilian Ibrahimović, entered the pro realms in soccer.
In order to be successful, both Maximilian and Shedeur must stick to self-discipline and never settle down for anything less. Ibra reiterated that while people notice the privilege, they forget the amount of pressure and hard work involved.
Ultimately, it is up to Maximilian to work hard succeed, said Zlatan, urging Shedeur to look at his journey the same way.
