Decision making in the life of a football player is an important tier in the development of his career and in the way he will be remembered after hanging up his shoes.
One choice that is accepted, right or wrong, will affect the future of the player on the field, and sometimes off the field for years to come.
Edin Dzeko faced a difficult decision last summer.
He left Rome after six years, received an offer from Inter and knew he was set to step into Romulo Lukaku's big shoes.
The formidable Belgian last season led the Narazuri to their first championship in ten years, scoring 24 goals in Serie A and being named player of the season.
Due to financial problems Inter had to sell him to Chelsea, in a move that led to great anger among the fans and the departure of coach Antonio Conte.
Already after eight cycles the lack of faith in Dzeko has disappeared.
He already has six goals in the league, as the team's top scorer.
His collaboration with Lautro Martinez does not fall short of what the Argentine had with Lukaku, and at the age of 35 the Bosnian proves he has much more to contribute.
Dzeko celebrates with Lautro.
The connection between them is great, Photo: AP
Just last week he became the second oldest player in history to score and cook in a Champions League game;
He did it in front of the surprising Sheriff Tiraspol - and the compliments keep coming.
"He is an excellent striker because in addition to his ability to score goals, he is very team-like, he reads the game in a great way," said former striker Luca Tony.
"Dzeko is a World Class player," declared Mykola Matbienko, a stopper Shekhtar Donetsk who met him in the home leg of the Champions League, putting his opponent in line with the greatest in the world.
Believes in himself
Matbainko may have exaggerated a bit in his paragon to Dzeko, but the bottom line is the veteran striker has signed on for quite a few historic moments.
He was an integral part of the Wolfsburg German Championship in the 2008/2009 season, its only in history.
He was at Manchester City in the huge and dramatic 2011/2012 Championship, which began dominating the Premier League in the last decade - and is considered to be Bosnia's greatest player of all time and a local idol.
Despite Dzeko's ability, he and his teammates are seven points away from Naples' perfect leader.
Add to that Juventus' weak start and the fact that they are two teams that do not like each other, to say the least, tonight's Derby d'Italia, in the ninth round, becomes critical.
Lukaku in an Inter uniform.
Do the fans still miss ?,
Dzeko, who was also a candidate for the old lady in the summer, will want to prove that what he has worked on so far can work in big games as well, and maybe that will give Inter fans the confidence he is capable of leading them to a second consecutive championship and make them stop missing Lukaku.
If you ask Dzeko, he is confident in his ability: "I expected to show the ability I have shown so far and Inter also knew what I was capable of, that's why she signed me."
