Emmanuel Latte Lath will never forget the third minute of his Bundesliga debut for Union Berlin. A straightforward header against Eintracht Frankfurt — but the emotion it unlocked was anything but simple. "It was like an explosion, the emotion that I had inside," the 27-year-old Ivory Coast striker said.

That moment marked a personal milestone for a player who left Côte d'Ivoire at eight years old, grew up in Italy, and has spent years grinding his way toward football's biggest stages. The road, however, was not always smooth.

A difficult chapter in MLS

Latte Lath's £22.5m move from Middlesbrough to Atlanta in Major League Soccer last year arrived with enormous expectations — and, by his own admission, it did not go to plan. Eleven goals in 48 appearances was a respectable return on paper, but he had hoped for far more. "I really wanted to show them why I arrived there. And it did not work," he told Sky Sports.

One memory from his time in the United States does bring a wide smile, though: the chance to share a pitch with Lionel Messi. "I was really like a kid when you see your hero. It was unbelievable. I will never forget it. I also touched him. I could touch Messi," he said, laughing.

Reflecting on the broader experience, Latte Lath offered a message to his younger self: "Take more decisions for myself, not let people take decisions for me. This is the main thing I can say to the young Emmanuel."

Flourishing under Carrick at Boro

Before Atlanta, Latte Lath had found his best football at Middlesbrough — scoring 29 goals in total under manager Michael Carrick, including 16 in his debut Championship season. He credits the club's family atmosphere as the key to his form. "I left my family in Italy and I came and I found another family," he explained.

With Carrick now navigating turbulence at Manchester United, Latte Lath offered an insight into how his former boss handles adversity. "When we were in the difficult situation, he never screamed like crazy," he said. "He just tried to analyse the moment and analyse the players and help us talk. He knew how to listen to us and also how to speak with us."

Working with a mental coach

Perhaps the most revealing element of Latte Lath's story is his decision to work with a mental coach — a step he initially approached with scepticism. "In the beginning, I was, like, I don't trust him, you know? But he helped me a lot," he said. "It is not just, I have to do this, do that. It is just talking."

The support extends beyond football. Latte Lath recently became a father, and the mental coaching has helped him grow in both his professional and personal life. "To become a man because I became a father. It is something new for me and really, really helpful."

Rising to the Bundesliga challenge

Life at Union Berlin has brought fresh challenges — a new coach, a new system, and opponents of the calibre of Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund. Playing against Harry Kane, he said, offered a lesson in itself: "As a striker, I always try to steal something. Maybe some movement, some action, to see how they think in a pressing situation."

After a year he describes as "a bit tough," Latte Lath is clear about what drives him forward. "I cannot do it alone. The people around me help a lot." The journey continues — and, for now, it is heading in the right direction.