He worked in Aldi at 19 – now he could genuinely win the Premier League

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Premier League footballers come from all walks of life, and while some are destined for greatness by being in an academy setup from a young age, others are stacking shelves at Aldi.

While people working at the popular supermarket chain might not expect themselves to become a Premier League star, one man was able to do precisely that.

It proves that it’s not impossible to reach the top level, even if it takes time and plenty of hard work to make happen.

That is what one current Premier League star did, who has become a prominent member of the Manchester City squad.

Tijjani Reijnders has gone from Aldi to Manchester City

Tijjani Reijnders signed for Manchester City in the summer for £46.5million, but he revealed to Sky Sports News that he was previously working in Aldi at 19.

“Yes, exactly. That was crazy,” he said about the experience.

Now 27 years old, Reijnders is becoming a key part of Pep Guardiola’s team, which is pushing for silverware in the Premier League and Champions League. This allows him to reflect on where he came from.

“Yes, of course. Um, uh, no, it was a good, good thing to do. [To] see how it is, how life is if you, yeah, have a normal job. Let me say it like that.”

Reijnders now has anything but a normal job, playing for one of Europe’s elite football clubs, and he is making a big impact for them.

The attacking midfielder has already scored once and provided two assists in the Premier League this season, showcasing the quality he can bring to the pitch as he adapts to the division.

Reijnders’ former Aldi colleagues are impressed with his growth

It isn’t just Reijnders himself who is impressed with how far he has come, as The Athletic spoke to one of his former teammates and Aldi colleagues.

“It’s amazing to see how well he has done,” says Van Wijnen, his old team-mate and Aldi colleague. “It’s almost indescribable if you look back at how far he has come in the last eight years. Yet I’m not surprised.

“I still remember one game for WVF when the ball came in from the right and he scored with a bicycle kick. He was eight or nine at the time… amazing! You just didn’t see boys that age scoring with bicycle kicks.”

Since then, Reijnders has only gone from strength to strength, and the early signs of his Manchester City career are just as positive, which could make him an effective Kevin de Bruyne replacement.