I coach Arsenal loanee striker Folarin Balogun – and have helped him outscore Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in Ligue 1

TECHNICAL coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst is the man in-form Arsenal loanee striker Folarin Balogun turns to for advice on his finishing.

The 21-year-old has become one of Europe’s most feared strikers – outscoring Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi in France’s Ligue 1, where he is starring for Reims.

Technical coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst has worked with in-form Folarin Balogun since last summer

Arsenal loanee Balogun has scored 16 goals in 25 games for Reims this season

His 16 goals in 25 games, have silenced the doubters who predicted the French minnows would be relegated.

Isaksson-Hurst has consistently worked with the clinical Balogun since last summer – offering him extracurriculur one-on-one coaching at £200-per-hour.

Since then, his game has improved no end. And when Balogun missed a penalty last weekend against Nice, the eager-to-learn Gunners youngster immediately booked in another session to work out where he went wrong.

45-year-old Londoner Isaksson-Hurt coached at Tottenham and Chelsea’s academies, but now works as a consultant at Arsenal.

Balogun’s representative got in touch before preseason kicked in last summer – with the hitman keen to better himself.

“I was contacted by his agent, Flo was looking for some additional work during the off-season,” Isaksson-Hurst said.

“We did an intensive programme over the summer, working on shooting, finishing, in-and-around the box, lots of quality one v one movement, lots of one v one tactics, but mainly that high-volume of quality repetition.

“I created lots of challenging practices for him to score goals that transfer to game situations.

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“He took that all with him to France – where he has been flying at Reims.”

Putting trust in his new mentor, Balogun has returned for repeat sessions – during the World Cup break and, most recently, when he failed to score from the spot in a Ligue 1 game.

Isaksson-Hurst, who counts Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, Brentford’s Rico Henry and Juventus’s Samuel Iling-Junior as clients, revealed: “I bring something different, I am an individual specialist and have been doing this for 20 years.

“I am technical coach, not a performance or fitness coach. I create practices that help players focus on improving those key areas and game-changing moments.

“On an individual basis I am able to give them something more focused than what they might get at their club.”

Balogun hasn’t often put a foot wrong this season.

Last weekend, he was disappointed to miss a penalty in a 0-0 draw with Nice.

The first thing he did was pick up the phone to Isaksson-Hurst to learn from his mistakes.

Technical coach Isaksson-Hurst helps players focus on key areas and game-changing moments with his drills

SuppliedBalogun returned to Isaksson-Hurst after missing a penalty for Reims last weekend[/caption]

“We discuss what went well and what we could do better,” Isaksson-Hurst, who studies his clients’ games religiously, continued.

“Flo missed a penalty at the weekend, which he was upset about.

“So we worked on penalty techniques in a session just a few days later.

“You’re trying to leave nothing to chance and leave everything you have on the pitch.

“If it doesn’t go well, that’s fine. But at least you can say I worked as hard as I can to be potentially successful.”

Isaksson-Hurst admitted he has been impressed with the work-ethic the new generation of players have.

“In the modern sporting world we’ve come to understand how important marginal gains are,” he said.

“There’s an acceptance with this new generation of players that it is best to do more.

AFPIsaksson-Hurst has been impressed with Balogun’s work-rate[/caption]

“I get contacted by pro players all over the world who say, ‘I want to work, I want to do this, etc.’ But it’s only a very few that will take me up on my offer.

“And that’s the difference with someone like Flo, Noni, Rico, Samuel – they are all willing to put that extra work in.

“Many players will get their contract and think they’ve arrived. It’s easy to get seduced by that lifestyle. But these guys aspire to do even better.

“Flo has an amazing mentality, he’s a real young gentleman, polite, very little ego and wants to play at the highest level. He wants to be one of the best strikers in the world.”

Balogun’s impressive rise has seen him top the scoring charts in France.

Not even seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi and pretender to his throne Kylian Mbappe are outshining the England U21 star in front of goal in this campaign.

“I am not surprised,” Isaksson-Hurst said.

“I think he always had it in – if you look at his goalscoring record in the academy and with England’s youth teams.

“Many players do that, but fail to make the transition into first team football that quickly.

AFPBalogun’s impressive form is down to the striker and the hard work he has put in, says Isaksson-Hurst[/caption]

“That’s fortunate for him, but he’s worked so hard for it, has the ability to do that, and has had the mentality as well to score goals at the highest level.

“It’s really lovely to see. There are fine lines in football. You don’t often get to see someone make that next step.”