Aubameyang: Brazil's Ronaldo is my role model

The Gabon international says he idolized the Brazil legend and needs to adapt to playing more defensively in order to become a top-class player.

Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says he looked up to Brazilian great Ronaldo as his role model while learning to play football.

The 13 million euro summer signing from Saint-Etienne made like the great Brazil No. 9 by scoring a hat trick on his debut for BVB during its 4-0 thrashing of Augsburg. But it was not just any hat trick, as it encompassed a variety of skills akin to what the former Selecao star could produce while he was in his prime.

"My role model? Ronaldo, but the Brazilian, not the Portuguese one," Aubameyang told Kicker. "I think Ronaldo has revolutionised football with his way of playing.

"He was dynamic, great with his headers, technically strong and fast. He was an enormous player."

The 24-year-old Gabon international added that he has not forgotten about his defensive duties and is keen to hone these skills at Dortmund, where he believes he will receive the best coaching.

"I have to perform consistently and show that I am able to keep up in Germany," Aubameyang said. "That's a process which can take some time, as we could see with Robert Lewandowski. It's up to me whether I'll be able to adapt more quickly.

"A striker at BVB is not allowed to stand up front all the time.

"Only by learning that, can I become a top player. That's why I have opted for Borussia Dortmund and Jurgen Klopp."

Die Schwarzgelben are set to face Eintracht Braunschweig at Signal Iduna Park in their next match on Aug. 18.