Anthony Ujah on his career journey, recovering from a career-threatening injury, Super Eagles & More

Nigerian striker, Anthony Ujah discusses his career journey, all the way from Benue in Nigeria, playing for Mainz, Koln, Union Berlin, his time in China, recovering from a career-threatening injury, finding a home in Eintracht Braunschweig and much more.

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0:00 Promo
0:14 Intro
0:40 Checking in / Family life
1:20 Journey to Professional Football
5:46 Joining Abuja FC
10:06 Playing for Abuja FC
10:36 Joining Warri Wolves
11:11 Trials in Norway
12:06 Joining Lillestrom
14:10 My move to Mainz / Germany
15:11 Moving to Köln
16:11 Is it disrespectful for Norwegian clubs to demand trials?
19:25 Is football talent hereditary?
22:01 Pushing my kids to play football
25:10 The drama behind my transfer to Werder Bremen
28:30 My time at Werder Bremen
29:46 Scoring against Köln for Werder Bremen
33:30 Making the move to China
40:36 My relationship with Taiwo Awoniyi
48:29 My career threatening injury
51:37 Finding a home in Eintracht Braunschweig
57:57 Spending majority of my career in Germany
1:01:20 Representing Nigeria
1:03:12 Playing in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
1:05:53 Quickfire questions
1:08:55 Advice to footballers going through serious injuries
1:10:42 The Tony Ujah Foundation
1:15:51 Plans for life after football
1:21:01 Message to aspiring footballers
1:24:58 Outro

#anthonyujah #fcköln #werderbremen #supereagles #nigeria #eaglestracker

And the second uh toward the end of the season you know when uh the Corona virus thing started so I was having some pain on my knee and I got it checked and I said okay it’s with my minuscal and I have to operate it hello hello everybody

Good morning good afternoon good evening wherever you’re watching or listening to us from this is the home of Nigerian football podcast as always my name is aot and I have with me a special guest you know a player for Nigeria a player for andine branch wig in Germany forgive

Me if I butcher that name I’m talking about Anthony uja Anthony welcome to the show thank you a thank you for having me yes um first of all I want to ask how you’re doing how is the family how is life over there for you yeah um I’m good like um I’m fine

I’m Healy she’s the most important thing um having experienced injuries in recent months I’m I’m I would say generally I’m where I’m meant to be and um family all good as well and we’re at peace that’s the most important thing yeah amazing and I’m glad to I’m glad to hear that um

And we’ll talk about you know where you are right now we’ll talk about some of the injuries that you hinted to but um let’s let’s start from I I would say the beginning you know growing up in Nigeria almost every boy girl you know plays football the boys you know we must say

Um and I say out of everybody that plays football maybe 10% maybe even less than that that can get the opportunity to play professional football so for you how did you get into the professional path how did football become a serious thing for you yeah just like you said

Every every child wants to be um football player um I came from very small village where um we just play football for fun and right from the very beginning um it was clear that football is all I want to do yeah so um I’ve always um been playing football with

People um that are that are older than me um because um I was very passionate about football I was um playing street football and not I was not concentrating in um in studies in school at all even though I tried I tried I tried but football was

Taking everything from from from my from my head my concentration and everything I was following European football a lot like reading the newspapers you know the street vendors you know where they sell um um newspapers I I go there just just to read the sport side you know and and

I follow um like almost every League you know in Nigeria Premier League leag is the is the is the biggest so I’m a big Chelsea fan and I read everything I followed DJ D like mad like from the from when he came from from marel directly his first year in chest I

Became a big fan watched every move how he was dangerous um for for every defense he was he was he was like my my my my role model grow my ey growing up and I was so passionate about football and my family they all knew this my dad

My mom every everyone knew this and my dad played football as well he didn’t go professional but he got a scholarship and went to to study abroad that was what but when while growing up I I experienced that some young coaches some coaches who who knew my father you know

But they could not connect him to me so when they H the son Nam uja they like come do are you related to this man I’m like yeah he’s my father I’m like yeah no wonder he was a good Striker he was but somehow we didn’t hear from him

Anymore I’m like yeah he stopped and he he he choose he was brilliant in school he he choose scholar he got a scholarship and then so it was it was it was something inherited you know but the difference was that during my father’s time football was not so developed like

Like like now so I had the opportunity to to um like some Scouts came around and that’s how my like my my um Journey really started so after B after after my school after my secondary school I I told my dad look I don’t think I can continue because if I get into

University I will get um I will get stuck and I won’t be able to combine football and and and and school it’s possible here in Europe you know and maybe right now in in in in Africa in Nigeria it’s possible now as well you know to combine in in some developed uh

Cities like Lagos Abuja you can do you can do both you know go to school in the morning to afternoon and go for football in the evening but like I said I grew up in in a small village and such thing is not possible so I had to play with my

Dad to let me give it a try you know and he gave me he said okay um he he will give me just one year because he doesn’t want me to end up like my friends most of my friends they stopped school and they’ve been trying football for a long

Time you know I was going to school Bor in school coming back home and and they are all totally trying football all these years and my dad said he wouldn’t want that for me and he G he gave me just one year and if he doesn’t see

Something positive out of it then I will go back to school and then I said okay um let’s see how it goes so I started and six months later I um I went for trials you know at FC Abuja you know they had like an open open Camp you know

They got promoted actually from uh the pro what we call the pro league in Nigeria to to to to the Premier League then was the glue Premier League so I uh they could not afford experienced players you know they could not like buy players because they were very um um

Financially they’re not so strong so they just made like open campaign where everybody can come and try themselves so I was there for about 6 weeks and during that 6 weeks I saw a lot of players coming and leaving and I was still there

So just like I told you my story is just by the grace of God you could see that um I was not the best but with God on my side I kept on excelling so the the the coach he was on strike then you know after promoting the team he was owed

Some some bonuses and salaries for months and so he went on strike that if he’s not paid he would not resume and the team is in Premier League so he was coming and going coming and going so he he came for a few days he left again so

He saw me he called me and he asked me uh what’s my name and which club am I playing for now he assumed I was already playing for a club because I was doing quite well I was fighting giving it all and in a few seconds I had the options

To uh to lie and just call anything or just go with the truth and uh I choose the truth and I said actually I uh I don’t have any club I’m just coming from school and it’s my first time uh Trav in out of B for football reasons and he was

Surprised to hear that because he assumed I have a club and he were like okay you’re doing good and um let’s see how it goes you know we still have um a long way to go let’s see how long you can survive and I thank him and I

Continue he left he came back again after a week he said you are still here I’m like yeah I’m still here so he watched again for a few times and after the second time he left a message that he would like to see me when he resumes

Fully so me staying there was not just because of that reason I never knew he said that you know but it was later when I signed for the club I I knew what he said that he left a message that he would like to see me when he resume

Fully so somehow he found an agreement with the club he got paid his benefit and everything and he resumed fully and at the end of the six weeks they made a final list and I was just among uh three players that were that were choos and that’s how my journey professionally

Started before then I was just playing tournaments playing um amateur League you know amateur League whereby um I was in school and they would just like during the holidays I would travel with them and during the home games I would play with them I was not like part of

The team because my team could not afford to play in the amateur league so the other team that registered they got like the best players from different teams just to be strong so that was that was the only experience I had from from but it was just a few a few matches so

Joining FC Abuja was like my first experience you know training every day with a professional team and it happens to be in the highest League of the land you know which is the Premier League so he of course I lacked some things technically and all these things because I never had the

Opportunity to get this Technical Training you know what I see today with young players here in Europe you know getting um full support their parents driving them to training they have like under under 10 Under 12 13 under 14 all these things I never had any experience

And I was just playing 11 against 11 football you know so no Technical Training no tactical training just go 11 here 11 here play against each other and go home so going to a premier league thing was was a big step for me but I

Knew what I could do and I know what I could not so I I just built my strength you know I kept on improving on what I knew I could do and somehow and with the help of God that kept me going so 6 months playing in FC Abuja uh we were

Struggling like really really financially so the motivation was not there we were like just play basically playing to survive you know and to sell ourselves you know the the the coach was very good very good man he told us our situation and how it’s important for us to like to

To adver ourself to sell ourself to the other things who can give us the next step so after 6 months the January transar window um I got lucky I joined um um warry wolves you know you know them like the the oil Rich Delta State so there they were building a stable

Team they were also newly promoted you know and after their first season we qualified for the African Continental cup that’s like the Europa League you know of uh African um Continental football so I spent six months with them and then we qualified for that for that tournament and I was actually looking

Forward to the next step you know like going International in in in Africa and then during the holidays I uh got a call that um I have been invited to to Norway you know for trials and that’s how I I went to vola I trained with them for two weeks

And they said yeah they would like to see me again but at the end I went back to Nigeria waited for 3 months I refused to resume with my with my club because according to the agent if I resume I will become their player and it will be difficult to

Get me out so it will be easier if I don’t resume and then I will come like a free player so it was kind of a risky move but at the end I I listened to them and I I started to feel the pressure at the end okay the league is about to

Start in Nigeria I’m still waiting for this team in nor way if I don’t join and the registration is closed I will wait 6 months and if they don’t call me I will wait doing nothing so I kept on praying believing in God and at the end I I got an invitation from

Lyom through because the agent um organize another trials so I had to come back to Norway again for another trial so and that’s like another risk again if he if he doesn’t go work out well I will resume back in Nigeria without the club

So by the grace of God I had a very good trious with li I went to Spain with them on the training camp and directly they give me a contract for 4 years and that’s how my journey in Europe started and in my first season I uh I scored 14

Goals in Norway it was an amazing time in Norway and in they had the opportunity to join to join Roy Royal mayoka after just one season in Norway and somehow we had they had some some disagreement you know and a lot of people thought I would be

Disappointed you know because it was it was a good step you know from now to La Liga you know and but LR was a club that I loved so much I um I understood with them they needed the the money and they were not getting like a guarantee for

The payment you know and I came back from Spain you know I did medical everything was all said but I came back with this feeling um not not negative feeling you know I came back I understood with them and I was looking forward to the new season in

Norway again you know because I I knew that if if this is something God wants it will happen if it’s not then it’s not my time to move it so I stayed back had a good preseason training again in Norway and had like the first round the

The the first half of the season in Norway I was scoring the same amount of goals that I scored in the four season in the first season you know and now I’m getting uh um an offer like a lot of more offers came in that show that like

Being patient was the right thing to do and and to understand with with lrom now they got an offer that was more than double what they missed 6 months ago so and also was good for me as well because um staying for extra 6 months I get to

Learn more things I get to improve on what I did in the previous season that’s how my journey injo gery started and with with mine first season I struggled it was a high intensity football compared to the Norwegian league and the language the the the the Tactical part

Of the game was another level so I I I struggled um a little bit but after after half a year I felt like okay this is something I could do if I um if I try to improve on my on on the on the language skills and and also try to

Listen more more to to to what they want from me so after one year um I had the opportunity to join colog and get um in the second division and get match practice you know get into the German Football you know playing week in week

Out and um I had a good season with with cologne scored um 13 goals I think uh we were almost getting promoted um we missed out I think we ended up on the fifth position and I um cologne wanted me to stay you know to make the loan

Permanent Min at first didn’t want but at the end I had to make the decision for for my career because I I wanted to continue with with with the journey because I I kind of like um everything about Cologne you know the fans the stadium and the city and everything so I

I stayed back there and the next uh season we got promoted um to to the first division we stayed in the league and then play again in first Division and then I moved from there so ver bman let me let me just pause you for a second because you’re getting deep into

The story but I I we’ll get back to it but I want to ask you um I think one particular question or two questions yes so first of all you went for um trial in valanga went for trial in lrom you know and this is a story that is common for a

Lot of Nigerian players being invited for trials abroad you know and despite the fact that you already playing in the professional league in Nigeria with Abuja FC they still wanted you to try do you think you know in your opinion is it a dis should I would I say disrespect or

A disservice to the Nigerian League that even though somebody already playing professionally in Nigeria these clubs will still say no we want to see you first before we can sign you what you think about actually I had that um you know when you as an as a as an African

As a Nigerian um our goal is to go to Europe because we we we know going to Europe is another level apart from the financial benefit there is still there are there are so many more more things comparing to comparing the football but I understand your question um playing in

The Nigerian League it’s a professional League already and Norway is still like um a step below the the major leagues in the world so you kind of expect like you know it’s enough or they could come to the Nigerian League watch your how you play and then decide if

They want you or not you know so I understand I understand this question and it’s something um kind of negative but I got um they told me the reason why they wanted to see me they said look they’ve seen my videos in the Nigerian League you know I I can score goals I’m

A fighter and all that but why they want to see me in training especially because it’s January you know the the norian league you know the Scandinavian League it starts always from uh around uh March April because of the weather so they want to see how I can perform in the

Winter and also the food difference and they mention a few things you know but the two things I can remember right now which I kind of agree is the weather and the change of food and um and and also dealing also dealing with um uh different culture because uh it’s not of

Course the majority of the players are Norwegians but you have players from other countries as well so they want to see how you get along and uh with with players of different um different countries different cultures uh religions and everything so those are the the the the reasons that are kind of

Understood with you know and and and that’s why it’s just two weeks and not one month or something so that they feel like in two and in two weeks it’s not like you will just be training every day you’ll just be training with the team

And it could be that on the weekend you are doing nothing because the team is playing and then maybe uh the next day when they have like a recovery training or if they have an off day you have an off day as well well so in this 14 days

You’ll end up maybe training just 8 nine maximum 10 times you know so it’s basically like they want to just see um this this these few things they mentioned so yeah that’s I hope that answers your question no thank you thank you I mean the weather is definitely a

Big deal because playing in Nigeria hot sun and playing in in the depth of winter is two different things entirely and the second question I’ll ask before we go back to talking about your career path you know you said your dad played football and you know you also are

Playing football now so do you think it is football is something that can be passed down from generation to generation you know because we see in football today there are many players currently that we know their fathers you know from when they played in their day do you think it’s actually something

That can be in the blood and be passed down it is it is actually but the most important thing is the pressure especially if your father is very successful I take for example now um the son of um Cristiano Ronaldo you know he kind of you know he’s already famous at his age

His father is Cristiano Ronaldo what’s the expectation it’s very high but this young they should this boy should be left to choose his own path but it’s not possible because the cameras are going to be everywhere with him so so that’s one aspect the other aspect is um

Heredity you know he was was it was inherited so um are you expected to be as good as your father or better you know and it also depends on what what’s a during your father’s time what was available and during your time what’s now available our time now there is so

High um distraction especially on social media you know in the previous time they were just focused on foodball and on the other hand this next Generation Now have a lot of um um technology things involved now you know I I’ve been professional now for for for more than a

Decade and now I see how there are a lot of data there’s a lot of camera angles there is a lot of um GPS things that that that measures your kilometers and your heart rate and everything so you see it’s either these things make you better or it’s a distraction you know so

There are so many things you just have to have the right people and the the right mentality you know for but at the end everything it’s in your hands but the the the the the the basic thing is the passion the love for football will

Be there for for for a young child whose father played football because his father will be watching football every time so definitely he’s watching football now he’s into football at the age of between 10 to to to 16 that’s when he will make the steps of if he

Will go professional level or he would choose another career path so different factors are are involved okay and then final question before we go back um I believe you have two kids yeah one boy and one girl yes three actually oh three okay two girls

And one boy two girls so would you be pushing them towards the football part I mean even female football is is really growing right now so would you be pushing your kids towards that actually all three of them have at their age quite athletic you know one is eight

Another one is five and another one is well will be three next month I can already see the the athletism in them and I would not my son actually is not showing much interest in football in the in the beginning he he he he was you know but he was not

Completely but I never um I’m never pushing him like Hey you have to watch football and right now they want to watch YouTube they want to you know watch this kids thing and I let him do this thing and when he gets to you know

8 to 10 and if he’s still if he’s showing interest and you know need help I will give it up but right now this is the time where they watch um YouTube when they want their toy and playing with their toy and I would let I would

Let him U enjoy this time because growing up in the like I told you growing up in the rural area I don’t have this opportunity you know to have this this life so now I’m I’m blessed to to to give him this opportunity but also controlled you know having screen time

And also learning things that he should learn at his age but trying to push into just football football football no I I’m I’m not doing that at the moment but I will be happy if he choose to spend more time watching and playing football okay amazing amazing than

Thanks for that okay let’s let’s now transition back to um football you your path you joined wether bman you were saying you know on a foure deal I believe from the 15 16 Season um so how how was the um story in weather bman for

You it was a it was an amazing story actually uh not from the beginning not from the beginning the the transfer from cologne was quite dramatic I would say as three years in Cologne I was a fan favorite for that 3 years I had a very

Good time in fact I made the decision to return back to colog after my career because of the good time I had with them and how well I F into the City and everything how I love the city and everything I said look I either come

Back to play here again or I move back here if I continue living in Germany you know and and towards the end of uh the season with Kum where I was sure that I would leave the last four games that was when I made the decision to join uh W

Breman I signed a contract quite early and they wanted to make these pictures you know and keep it for the end at the headend of the season so they can post it when the season is over and somehow someone uh from the media team of uh wether Breman came to the conclusion

That the pictures should be posted ear and that was that that did a lot of damage to my to my image to the image I was trying to maintain with the the with the club and the fans of col it was uh I would say it

Was the hardest four weeks of my life so far because that that four weeks kind of um damaged 3 years of good times you know on one hand they are not saying yeah you are not allowed to leave the club you have to be here forever but on

The other hand they expected some level of loyalty because we were still fighting against relegation four matches to go and of course we were not like down down down but mathematically we were not saved yet so that was like a negative distraction to the team and

Also I was having this um scarf this scarf where was written like I’m now 100% verer and this was so bad I felt so bad it was it was really when I mean like pad pad pad it was it was really bad but somehow I got the support of the

Of the coach Peter Stoger he was very good man he helped me uh went through this difficult time because um he rallied around the team he got the team to to to to support me the first match I played after this media explosion after the match he helped me to make like a

You know a cycle you know the team like a cycle like you know teams coming together all around and he put me in the middle and everyone clapped for me in the team and the fans who were whistling against me booing me the whole time uh

Because they were hot you know but I I was not I was feeling bad but I knew that was coming from the place of hot for them because they loved me they they supported me the and I loved them back as well I this club was so much um in my

Heart and I could understand their frustration you know I understood them but what the coach did I would never forget you know he kind of um put me in the middle of this of this cycle and make sure every player every staff coaching staff and every every staff who

Came out there to to give me an Applause you know and this 50,000 fans saw this and they have no choice but to join because even though they were H there knew that I gave everything to the club you know I scored a lot of goals and I

Played with passion I I I was I was you know emotionally into the team you know every losses was very painful for me every win was it was like Christmas it was a big celebration so it it was for me not just playing for cologne was not

Just like a journey a career Journey it was like a home for me and so that was how I was able to to to to survive um this the last um weeks I had there but and the time back to the question the time bman was was amazing was just one

Year was was amazing you know I get to sit next to a legend of the game you know um Cloud pizaro he who he was like he was he was an an inspiration because seeing how much he has achieved playing for Bayern Munich for many years and also playing for

Chelsea and how humble he was how down toe he was and how he transer how he he spoke to us the younger players you know telling us about his experience and also training with him every day as as a striker I could I was learning a lot you

Know from from from him so that was one of my major highlight you know playing for for weather Breman and I scored 14 goals you know in all season we we had an was a difficult season because the whole season almost the whole season we played against relegation and we had

Good run in the cup I think up to um quarter semi-final so it was a short time but with a lot of success personally for me um um as a striker you know scoring goals and and having this amazing atmosphere in the stadium as well and let me just ask you quickly so

I’m looking online and I see that when you’re playing for weather you scored a goal in the cup against cologne a one win for wether B how how was that for you you know the fans boo you after you scored were they happy for you you know

How did you feel that was that was that was that was another crazy day you know there is this thing with we football players where we don’t even um we are not able to explain it until now I don’t know if other players can but for me

Personally I can’t when you play against your former team you have this this I don’t know if it’s anger or but you have this thing where you want to perform really well it doesn’t matter at what circumstances you left the club whether you left in a good way you left in a bad

Way you just want to perform good against them I don’t you know what I mean I know yeah yeah so when when that was the first game I was supposed to um uh I played against them I I I I had a very good game you know 1 Z we kicked

Them out of the the cup it was an emotional game for me but there is this thing where you want to be to have a good performance against your former team either to tell them yeah yeah now you misset me or yeah I’m still doing good if you wish me back no different

Different reasons and I had a really really good game we we kicked them out and shortly after then we were playing against them again in the league and at home again and that game was a bit dramatic for me because I wanted to score again I was trying everything to

Score again we were leading one Z I don’t know I forgotten what what um if we were leading or not but there was a situation where I was supposed to score and I I got like a contact from um from the from the defender and I went down it

Was quite easy and they gave a penalty you know now then there was no V this was 20 this was 20145 there was no V and and they it was they they were so angry at me that why did I manipulate the referee and they

Were so and now the fans saw this where everything was supposed to be good between me and the fans when I left you know now this got the fans angry and they started to whistle against me the guys to get angry and everything and they wanted me to go to the referee and

Tell the referee it’s not a penalty I’m a winner I want to win this game for for ver bran and now I’m working for for ver bran now I I I don’t want to do something that would be kind of disloyal to to to ver bman I’m I’m under contract

Then and I want to win the game for them doesn’t matter who I’m playing against so I said no I want to play the penalty I took the ball and somehow I missed I missed I missed the penalty and it was damn and then the defender was like

Coming in front of me and celebrating and screaming I was like and then because of that action I wanted to like okay I have to score in this game but then every if you trying to force things you know if instead of allowing things to go the

Way it’s supposed to go if you try to force things it would not go that way so somehow the our coach saw that I was trying too much and in that process making mistakes and he took me out of the game so that was like two games it

Happened in the space of two weeks and it was quite dramatic and kind of like made my relationship with uh with would fans a little bit sour again okay Amazing Story okay let’s let’s move forward um very quickly so I believe you then made a move from ver

Beman to China how how did that come about because you know this now yes everybody knows about the other leagues in Asia you know in Saudi but how how did this move happen for you back then yeah um after like I said I had a very

Good season with with with ran and this was a time where China was going crazy with making a lot of big transfers you know T and this other big big big big players and I’ve always um known my strength in football and it’s not like I

Don’t believe that I could go to a certain land but I knew playing in the Bundesliga I would only be able to play for medium um let’s say average clubs you know who either playing against um relegation or stuff like that but it’s like I said it’s not like I don’t

Believe in myself but like I told you from the very beginning I lacked this technical aspect of the game whereby coming to this B coming to a Bundesliga level scoring double digits I felt like I’ve really really uh done amazing considering how um how I was train going

Growing up you know so I knew I would either keep playing for this um Club at um having the same kind of level or I I’m okay I I’m I have a a foundation whereby I help a lot of people in my community and I’ve put a

Lot of resources in there so I got after the season Inman I got an offer actually I have I had off the first offer in January then I was already I scored seven eight goals and and the club was still way down on the table so I had

Like a much like a lucrative offer from China but I directly turned it down actually the club got a crazy offer as well but they left it for me to decide you know and I decide not to take it because I said I would like to end the

Season with ver bran to help them to stay in the league so leaving them now in the middle of the season will be um would not be um something good and if it’s if if this opportunity doesn’t come again in the future financially I’m also okay you know I’m content with I’m

Content with contented what I have now and I’m grateful for it but right now my wish is to stay and finish the season with uh with Breman so I uh ended the season we survived on the last day of the Season which was a very very special

Day you know so I I feel like was a good ending and you know what they say you live when the aition is is high so I uh was lucky enough to have an um an offer from another club in China again not as big as the the

Club that came in January but at the end of the day the offer is still like way more than what I was ending here in Germany and I saw that as an opportunity for me to expand my my charity works you know expand my foundation and reach more

Children more more women widows you know and like Youth Empowerment in my community so and also for me as well because as you know football it goes like this very quick so and you have to be smart and you can see a lot of EX players who made this mistake and we we

Learn from them you know to do the right thing so we can you know have a secure to secure our future yeah so I took the offer to to to go to China I was not I was not um shy about it I was not lying

About it I was not trying to you know be like other players who say yeah they they want to learn a new culture they want to learn a new I those things are your sto things are your stories know coming from coming from having my background you know coming from where

You you played football without football shoes you know you no electricity and seeing all these things you you you wouldn’t want to think twice when you have an opportunity like this especially when you are not just thinking about yourself and your family and you have a lot of a whole community

On your shoulders so I I took that offer um I was just more I was my life was basically more like a sacrificial lamp you know to make others happy and because for me material things doesn’t make me happy and you can see my Instagram I you will you hardly see

Anything personally from me so seeing people happy seeing my Foundation group how much people graduated from University and and and and having and training people with skills and having their own businesses this is for me what made me successful in life till now not what I have personally so I took that

Offer with that thinking with that mentality and uh I was happy everything uh went exactly as I planned because I was not ready to end my career in China I was I was going there at the age of 26 27 so I knew if I stay longer I will hit

30 and I W be able to come back to Europe you know I still wanted to take that Financial opportunity but at the same time still stay the top level football and I know staying there long will not be so after staying there for a

Year and a half and I had an opportunity to come back to Bundesliga like first Division I took the opportunity so this was the plan from the beginning you know so that one and a half year I uh took I would say I don’t know if it’s the best

But I tried as much as I can to to financially to utilize the purpose the reason why I took the opportunity which I uh did very well I could see um terms of business wise Investments kind of increased my portfolio and also expanded my foundation and we we put a lot of

Children back to school from the SC we we helped a lot of small businesses a lot of um people from my community were able to um have this training skill where they can also we set them up to their own business where they can c for their

Families and all that so for me it was just perfect and to still be playing professionally till now I’m just super super grateful you know amazing well said and and you know I’m happy to hear that you had a you had a plan you know of okay you want to go

There at least secure your future a little bit secure the future of your foundation and then make it back to Europe and um you made the return to mines um but I I’ll quickly fast forward um in 20 19 you then signed for Union Berlin who had just come up from the

Bundesliga to into the main um first division of German Football um yes so specifically your time in Union Berlin you know I have spoken with Tai before and he mentioned that you were a big part of the reason why he joined the team and felt comfortable you know you

Were like a big brother for him um so I want to ask you what can you say about Taio and the relationship that you two had in Union Berlin yes um actually um Tai uh is an amazing character you know he’s one of the um he’s one of my favorite um people

I would say right right now because um seeing seeing him from where he started um in Germany and the progress he has made I’m not very much surprised because that boy is a hard worker he was he was the hardest worker in Niger when I’m talking about

Not just Nigerian players that I have played with he’s one of the hardest I don’t know how to describe him but I will just go ahead and tell you what what I see what I know about him U I came in contact with him while I was

Still in uh in mindes around um the beginning of 2019 actually that was when I came in contact with him and as you can see we both belong to the same uh agency um when I got a contact with him I and he joined us I Prov it through through the same

Agency they brought him to to Germany to mines when I was when I left mines to Neon berin and I saw how he was you know he came to mind when the strikers a lot of Strikers were injured so it was like a kind of emergency January transfer and

You know such transfers are always difficult for players who come in the middle of the season so now these players are back from injury and the coach is sitting in a press conference saying how difficult it him it was for him to to not uh give Taio enough

Chances to play you know when a coach comes out in the in a press conference and says such him about the player that means he’s doing something right you know he said look we we brought him in when our Strikers have injury now our Strikers are back you know he’s on loan

I have to use the the the players you know that belong to the club and but this boy T will keep giving me headache you know he keep fighting in training he’s the first to come in he’s the last to leave and despite not being in the

Squad or not being on the bench he’s still working so hard and the coach is feeling bad for not giving an opportunity you know and I was in Union Berlin and we were kind of not struggling but I I don’t know how confident I was and I met with the the

The manager and I told him look you can see what this coach is saying about this boy whenever you are thinking of a striker please think about him now I’m a I’m a striker as well you know telling your own club about another Striker your own position that comes from a heart

Where you see yourself you know you are getting too TI now you had your good times now it’s the time of your younger ones you know creating um an environment where they will be successful as well you know or even more so it was quite um

A bold move I would say because I was not the biggest player in terms of caliber you know and to tell a club about a player is quite bold so I just Dro in that wall not knowing the manager took it serious you know and and somehow

They brought him in and he called me and he was like hey big brother I uh I got an offer from your club but I’m not feeling good about it because uh we are going to be playing the same position and I’m not feeling very comfortable

About it that’s coming from uh you know this cultural respect you know African kind of mentality and and and then I I I it was it was funny for me I laughed and I told him that look you are trying to find your feet you know in European

Football and to to to kind of announce yourself very well I’ve had like good good times it’s not about me anymore and moreover they are not going to take my salary to give you you it there is enough to go around so come in and

Find your place in the team as fast as possible and I express how glad I am that he’s coming so now we will have more time you know not usually we were just talking over the phone and everything so now we will spend more time together and I will say it was it

Was one of the it was we spent two years together and it was it was amazing we didn’t just help each other in so many ways about football but also outside football you know because I get to share my experience what I did outside um football in terms of just what I was

Telling you about um you know investment securing the future because we we we’ve seen so many stories that went the other way around and we have to do things different so like I like I said he’s really humble he’s a listener and and he’s he’s a special character I would

Say because he was very focused he knew what he want wanted in terms of uh um business wise and he happened to to collide with what I was doing over the years and so it was easy for me to share my experience with him and and and he

Also um he grabbed every every opportunity he grabbed every every opportunity he listened he and he he was he’s now doing way way way better than than than than than I expected you know and he he you know he’s had some bad lucks with with with injuries and all

That but you could see that he took care of his body this guy is a machine when we are going home from training he takes a shower puts on the club clothes again and he goes to we have this room where we when we have two times training

We go take a nap you know I ready for the second training he goes back in there because he wants to go to the gym around 4:00 there was a day his wife called me and he said um she spoke to my wife and um I’m at home but her husband

Is not at home she’s worried and I said oh I think he he must have forgotten to reach out to you but he’s taking a nap because he told me he wants to go back to the gym he wants to have another section another training section so this

Guy invested so much put in a lot of work that I personally didn’t do so it was it was quite it quite amazing to see someone chasing their dream and putting you know we um especially football fans they see they see the game days but they don’t see what happens during the week

You know a lot of people have to push themsel extra to be able to to reach where they are so that his playing in Premier League and he’s um doing really well for me is not a surprise at all that boy worked really he walked his he

He worked he let’s say he did way more than he was expected to do and that’s why you see he’s doing really well and my wish for him is just to you know stay healthy as long as he stay healthy he will all always Excel very well so t for

Me is um he he’s not just um a colleague we play together you know he’s like a brother to me and we live in the same estate in in Abuja and we’re so close and I’m just I’m just fascinated to see this journey and I’m excited to see what

How more he because definitely there’s still more more more room for improvement yeah amazing amazing I I love that story thank you for for sharing um and um so you then joined um Branch Weg after the spell in Union Berlin and that’s where you’re still playing today um how how has that been

For you again I would say that was the the towards the ending from Union Berlin to to to where I’m playing now and Branch um it was the hardest time of my career because I had my first injury after over 10 years of playing professional football I never missed two

Three days of training section to injury I’ve had like very very I was by the grace of God I was staying off injury and then I had my first injury and it lasted one full year you know and and I sign three years in un Berlin first year

Was the first te in the history of um the club playing in the in the in the Bundesliga and the second uh towards the end of the season you know when uh the Corona virus thing started so I was having some pain on my knee and I got it

Checked and they said okay it’s with my minuscal and I have to operate it so and they told me it will only last for 6 weeks so somehow it kept on dragging on and on and on and on after 6 months resulted to another kind of operation major operation actually that involved

Um uh completely changing the structure of how I’ve always been since my child birth you know you can imagine um you you have to learn how to walk again how to jog again how to run again how to everything was just like from the beginning again the only thing that

Stays with you is your experience for football but at the same time your movement has changed so it was a I would call it a career threatening injury because uh it lasted like it lasted one year and now I’m I the whole season I was out now I’m into

The last year of my contract with um Union Berlin after doctors have told me that it’s possible that my career would not continue that I should be lucky for having that kind of injury when I’m already you know around 30 when I’ve had my like my best times in football

Otherwise if I was like 2021 that could like that could culture my my my career you know so on one hand I was grateful but at the same time I was praying a lot you know and believed in God that this I don’t want

My career to end this way so I was very positive about it I went through the the the rehab process with with positivity with with with with energy and and somehow I saw myself playing again you know I spent the last full season in my last year of my contract with on they

Were already playing the Europa League and I was just grateful that throughout that last season with them I was not struggling with what the doctor said could be the end of my my career so so it was difficult for me to to find another club because the medical record is out there for

Everybody to see of the kind of operation and had and also there were not many games played so now out in Germany they knew the kind of operation like that it’s the major one so they were not ready to risk it but outside Germany they were looking more about the

Statistics or in two years uh in two years I played so amount of games so that means it’s a risk for them as well so I I was in Nigeria waiting and waiting and waiting and that was the longest holiday of my of my of my career

Because I was already two months usually our holiday is never kind of more than 6 weeks you know we start like early June again ahead of July August I was in Nigeria until the beginning of August and it was quite scary I was starting to think like could this be the end but

Again I knew my last season with Union I was not battling injury I was not just fully fit to play games you know I didn’t have like a preseason with them that was and the coach was fair and honest to me you know that if I had if I

If I would have had preseason with them he would have given me play playing time because what he was seeing in training I was really fighting for my position but there is this um difference from other players who went six weeks of training camps friendly games half training and

Me who who came into the team training when the season was already just about starting so I was just grateful that I was able to play the whole season with them so I played eight games in total and um without injuries that was for me the positives of that last season

But now for the clubs who are potential like trying to give me an offer they were not really convinced so I was really struggling mentally um and then uh I interract Branch white my current Club came in and they wanted to also know about everything at this point they were quite

Desperate because they played five matches and uh no goal like absolutely no goal and they were desperate looking for reinfor reinforcement in the in the in the offense and they checked all available players and somehow my name popped up so they had like like an interview with me where I have to

Explain the kind of operation I did and uh how I feel how how fit I am and everything basically I could say what I could say but I just wanted them to see me I was like look let’s meet him in training and you you you can decide and

The two the risk you know and uh that’s this is why I said in the beginning that you know I’m just where I’m where I’m supposed to be in in in in in life in football and everything because I um signed for one year with an with with an

Option for another year and I scored 10 goals for a player who didn’t have a preseason with them who came in after five games into the season I would say that’s a really good um season because uh the second league in Germany is one of the strongest second division in the

World I would say because he very physical is it’s a tough League I would say you can see a lot of um strong te struggling right now yesterday we played against hat Bellin a team who has been in the first division for so many years sha is

Struggling way down there with us and you see ham Hamburg you see St PA you you see Hanover you see a lot of strong things yeah struggling to go up you know that tells you how strong the league the league is so after the first season scoring 10 goals now those clubs who

Wanted me who were not sure if I was um fit enough or healthy enough now they are coming back for me to to join them but I refused you know I stayed here you know somehow to the surprise of the club they thought I would leave you know

Because I mean 10 goals with player of my experience I could easily um and and then I was for due to my age I was trying to get another experience outside uh European League you know outside Germany just try something this is a time where I wanted to have like another

Experience not financially like I was in China now I wanted to actually like an adventure now but because of the way the club um took a risk to bring me in now they want me to stay and without thinking twice I I oblig I I decided to

Stay you know to continue to to to help them so I started the second season with them very well in the first uh five six games I scored four goals and then I in this game where I scored two goals I got injured you know T the tendon on my

Shoulder and I just got back um a few weeks ago and I’m struggling to find like my form again but I’m I’m happy I’m just just glad I’m back again after 4 months of injury and I’m just I’m just glad from everything because I’m like in the

Moment of my life of my career now where I have to think where I started from the journeys so far the players that I came to to Europe with my fellow um Nigerian players that I came to Europe with you know you know your setx you know your

Your group of and when you see where they are now and where I am now with my age with with this injury struggles I’m just grateful you know I’m just thankful to God that I’m able to still find this this this passion you know this this

Excitement to to to to go to work every day you know looking forward even though the physical aspect is very is he’s taking the toll on me physically but I’m still very much um the passion is is there is still there that’s just basically what I’m trying to say amazing

Um and very quickly just to round off on your your career you kind of hinted at it and I was going to ask um spending majority of your time in Germany you know were there other times that you were like ah okay maybe I should move to

Belgium maybe I should move to Spain maybe I should move to Italy you know or were you just comfortable and happy in Germany yeah comfortable and happy are just the two right words because um Germany um is not just is a very is you know when it comes to discipline is I I

Will tell you now like I’ve seen a lot of Africans struggle here you know Germany and discipline yeah they want 100 you can be the best player you can be the best player but if you’re coming late if you are if you are fighting if

Let just say if you are not like being punctual being on time and following the Tactical instructions and these things they don’t care how important you are to the team you are out you know like completely out and and they don’t joke with these things so somehow from my I would say childhood

From my adulthood I I when it comes to respect when it comes to being on time when it comes to everything that has to do with discipline I’m very much up there so we kind of align so that’s one of the major reasons why why why I

Stayed here but I would I would say it’s not an easy League at all physically there there was a statistics I saw some some some months ago where they they showed the the list of injuries you know and Germany was way up there that’s show they the training in Germany they don’t

Give you so much space like this kind of 11 against 11 kind of training is is only when they trying to do the Tactical training before the game that’s where you have so much space otherwise the whole week is a very small space you

Have to find your way out of a lot of tles a lot of like 5050 duels so it’s for me to have survived over these years I would just say it’s just by the grace of God you know I would not say yeah I was training hard I was working no no no

First of all the the the the the disciplinary aspect of it and also um just paying attention and always wanting to improve on myself that’s uh and being able to enjoy I learn the language you know right now I’m I’m a citizen of uh Germany as well you know

It’s something that is out there in the media but I that’s how much how comfortable I am you know that I’m looking forward to the next years you know um seeing my children grow up here and also shuffling between Nigeria and Germany I would say Germany is like my

Second home know right now so it’s a very comfortable country you know uh for football you know no place is no place is perfect every place have their own negative and positive but considering how much this country has given to me from from football and also to to for my

Family as well I’m just um happy here right now and I’m looking forward to life after football as no amazing um and I guess just to round off on your career um it’ll be it would be wrong for me not to talk about this um I know we’re

Already running long on time but I I’ll make it I’ll try to end quickly um you played for Nigeria a couple times um and I will say standout was at the 2013 confederations cup you know they’ve ended the tournament now but back then I remember the confederations cup I was

Still a young boy then I it was it was a big deal you know to watch Nigeria play in competition SC how did it feel for you to be part of that um team at the time yes my um experience with the national team when you ask me now like

To looking back at my career to to to where I am right now if I have any um regrets I I would I don’t know if regret is the right world to to use because I I’ve I’ve been really really blessed from football but if I would say

Wish if there is any I let me use the word uh wish if there is any wish that I have that would be to to have scored a goal for Nigeria because um you know you know our country Nigeria is one of the biggest in the world when you talk about

Football and wearing that shirt you know my my first national team jersey is still hanging in my in my father’s house not not in my home in my father’s house because um this is something he he he sees every day and makes him really really proud you know and it was it was

The honor it was it was it was a big honor you know to have put on that Shir so I played um I think eight times for for for Nigeria and it was was it was amazing you know it’s a wish for me to have you know scored and maybe had more

Games you know played in tournaments you know played in we week out but I’m just very much grateful it was it was was a good time actually with Steven kesi you know may may his so rest in peace he was an amazing coach we spent uh over about six weeks together because we

Played um we had the campign here in Germany and we played um qualifiers afcan qualifiers and moved to Brazil for the comfort cup I would say it was it was an amazing time you know having to experience uh a FIFA organized uh tournament you know you see that

Everything is just on point you know like everything is just high level so I’m just grateful to have um had this experience and and my brother K Aon you know I when he got his first uh call up to the super Eagles I had to pray for

Him you know I had to tell him look my wish for you is to do way better than I am because I took interest in his career so personal like selflessly personal like like I seen like I told you seeing his story how he moved from this boy

Played in the in the in the second division here in Germany and almost now when he started scoring a lot of goals in Germany first division nobody knew he played in Germany already some years ago in Frankfurt you know FS power Frankfurt is a smaller team not the big Frankfurt

So seeing his story and where he is now is like is just amazing so when he go to his first call up I had to tell him look please you have to score I want you to do what I was not able to do I want you

To be more successful so when he scored his uh first goal in afcon you know the last afcon I was I was I think I was more happier than him you know because I’m somebody like seeing other people progress in life it’s something that that that gives me joy a lot so seeing

That he did it I kind of felt like very fulfilled somehow like for myself because um he was very close to me and um yeah so that’s basically like my story in the national team is just more of Honor you know for me now the wish is

There that I would have maybe played more games had more time with a national team and scored more goals but in all in all I’m just thankful you know that picture will always be there my children will see it when I grow that that that J

Will always be there that image that I represented my Fatherland will always be there amazing um okay very well you know detailed journey of your your whole career um which I just want us to play one game and then I’ll ask one or two questions um sorry for keeping you so

Long but problem problem it’s been so interesting at me once I start talking about football with football players if we even give us four hours we might not finish keep on going we will keep on going I know I know understand but yeah let’s play let’s play a game very

Quickly this game is fire so I’m just going to ask you you know a question and you know not too much thoughts just give me the first one that comes to your mind you know okay um so first one who’s your favorite Nigerian player of all time Daniel amokachi Ami um who’s your

Favorite Nigerian player today who is the best coach that you’ve ever played under your favorite coach that you’ve played under national team or Club anywhere Peter Stoger this coach I told you about who helped me through the time my ending time in colog okay um who is the one manager

That you wish you could have played on that you haven’t that you wish you could have played on Mourinho due to my love for Chelsea okay what’s your favorite food to eat before a March the day of a March m H just pasta you know just something light but in the beginning PM

I’m so strong when I eat Pand but that was then in Nigerian league but I coming to Europe they changed my mentality if you could have one superpower what would you want your superpower to do H I would say solving people’s problem no matter how difficult it is both financially

Both healthwise you know Healing The Sick and all okay um do you have any Superstition before a match you know maybe wear your left sock before the right sock you have to pray you know do you have any Superstition just touch the floor and make the sign of the cross you know yeah

Yeah what do you do to keep focused before a game music music music kind of put me um in a very focused um mood okay um rice or swallow swallow swallow I’m from Ben state food basket of the nation okay um casual clothes or traditional clothes casual casual shoes or wrist

Watches I’m not very much a material person but I would say a rwatch wristwatches okay Nik Nike Adidas or Puma I played um with Adidas for almost all my career for nine go years so even though I’m wearing P right now I would say Adidas Adidas okay and

Then final one Champions League of afcon that’s a hard one considering how I told you how much I wanted to be so successful but I will say Champions League because it’s like the father of all football all right after after welome Champions League welcome okay um thank

You for that um okay I have just a couple questions to to round things first one is you know as somebody that has been through major surgery and has come back from it you know and you know getting to full fitness again we have some Nigerian players who you know

Victor Bon got in J just before the afcon um just like a week or two ago zi got a major injury that we’re hearing is going to keep M for about a year what is your advice to any footballer that is going through injury serious positivity

You know just you know having the right mentality you know and and and because I remember one what one of the professors told me he said look the other doctors have told you that it will be difficult for you to continue football but I I will tell you

There is nothing impossible medically um the most important thing is the approach your focus during the rehab during the rehab that every exercise they give to you even though that part that that particular part of your body where you are in you are not using it much the

Other part of your body where you are able to use you know be it your upper body every pushup you asked to do every weight you actually to lift stay focused on it do it very well and also watch how much you eat because that’s the process

Where that’s the easiest um time where you add weight because you are not burning a lot you are not doing a lot of cardio so now you want to start and hit the ground running so you need to be light as light as possible and Above All

Above All Is just prayers because um it’s God it’s only God who can bring you back to where where you were but medically and physically this are just the the the positives I I took out of my experience thank you for that um the other question that I have is you know

You spoke about your foundation and the mission that you’re trying to do in Nigeria can you just tell us a little bit more about your foundation what you do and you know how can if people want to support is there a way that they can support the foundation as well yes

Actually um yeah it’s called the um tja foundation and we are focused on um children women and youth youth um development you know right now in in January last month we we pulled a lot of children from from their um internally displaced um centers you know people who

Are affected by by War terrorism flood people who flood took out their whole village and everything and they are staying in like in in in a camp you know having a normal life is no longer possible you know because you are no longer living in your home you are

Living in in in in a place where there are hundreds of people living there so the only focus there is people bringing in food for them to eat but that should not be the the the the the objective you know these children still have a future

You know having a Tre Square meal is good is good because that is that is almost impossible right now because you see a lot of people coming to help them but there are times where nobody is coming to feed them so feeding is good but they still have a

Future you know they still you want them to to have the same opportunity like all the children who are living who have their own home still standing so we we we pulled out um some children from this um this centers in in in in my state B

State and we put them back to school and you can see the excitement in their face and a lot of these children have very brilliant you know so that’s that’s one area you know we have also the the the youth development through my I have this tournament where I do every year you

Know and every year it’s it’s now 11 or 12 years now in a role but now I kind we kind of like change it whereby we try to give the players opportunity not just look forward to every summer to this tournament but after the tournament what

Happens are you going to be in in in in sitting for the next year so we we decid to to to do it in a way whereby we also sponsor um some of these players to go out there to go through trials you know in the Nigerian leagues you know in

Other leagues where they so I’m I’m happy that a few of them have had the opportunity to to to to have a professional team the the biggest one right now is playing for Rivers United you know in the Premier League and there are all the players cattle around around

Nigeria and one is also playing in Denmark and so we we we I’m so happy to see where they have this platform where the because football is basically my team so no matter whatever I’m doing I still have to you know look look out for the for other younger

Players who want to be like me and who could who have the potential to be even better than I am so we we also we have the widows Outreach that area where where my um my mom helped me with so it’s we’re into different things and if

You check the link on my on my Instagram on my bi you will see um everything what we doing and it’s it’s something that I’ve been doing personally by myself and like on a low key over the years you know but now my my wife like helped me

Took over the thing and made it more branded and you know we we football players we don’t have time for these technology things and all these things so know she so she’s very good with it thing and I’m very happy about it you know that she she helped me with it she

Kind of like made the idea more more sophisticated and we are making um a lot of progress it’s not so easy right now like raising funds and and all that because we are go we are facing the whole world right now we are facing an economic crisis almost everywhere so

Trying to convince people to to to to to to join what you are doing and a lot of people don’t really see it in in a positive way they look at you like oh this football player who has earned so much money over what he is this is like

Putting put putting water from a cup in a river people people have this mentality especially we in Africa and all that but the fail to understand that every little thing you put out there whatever everyone is struggling everybody understand that but whatever little you put out there it’s for you

Little but when put together it’s for someone a lot you know that that’s the message you but like I said personally I’m still putting a lot of my resources in it but also we had a lot of Support also which I’m very much um grateful

For amazing um and well done on that you know it’s something that I think personally I always look at footballers who are doing something to give back you know I look at them differently because I think it’s such an important thing to be able to help your community and skill

That you are you know um Kudos kudos to you um for that one um okay I think I have two more questions um the first one life after football you know I’m not I’m not trying to kick you out of football but you know you said it yourself at

This point if I don’t have an idea then I must be stupid you know yeah you know are you going to stay within the game coach agent you know what what are you with within the game but outside the game this this coaching thing I can’t I

Can’t do it is to demanding and considering how much energy I put into it I would like to like do something whereby I will have a season where I can take a rest and that’s like the second one you mentioned being an agent so I’ve really seen myself had an impact in

Younger players you know a lot of uh younger players you know that I’ve played with that I’ve played with over the years and that gives me a picture of what I could do later you know and and also a lot of our African brothers who have struggled you know to stay focused

And to to stay hungry and um this is something that I have um a lot of passion for for for a lot of reasons you know one of the major one is or being a professional over the years you know sharing my experience you know um

Helping them to to to take the right decisions and and when they are faced with you know making a decision on which where to go I definitely have one or two things to say based on my on my experience and also as a as um as a

Former player that I will be later I can also speak about their their performance you know I would be able to criticize them constru ly and honestly you know a lot of one of the problem I saw that we had is hearing the truth from our agent

You know because they don’t want to offend us they don’t want us to feel bad they don’t want to criticize us because they feel that might hurt their relationship our relationship but the truth is you help the player if you criticize the player it depends on how

You put it and everything and also um my major Focus will be around my fellow African Nigerian brothers because um I see a lot of them being um um taken advantage of because um you know every right now the the the the desperation for money using using using a lot of

Players to make money and not I mean you can do the right thing and still be financially um comfortable as an agent you know but choosing the truth choosing to be honest and choosing the player first before the other thing that’s um it’s a lot of uh it’s difficult for a

Lot of Agents so this is the part where where where I feel I can do good as well because um uh like I said football has blessed me to to to a certain point where I’m um I’m okay with with how life is for me so I’m able to control

Whatever Financial pressure I will I am instead of taking a decision that would not be good for a players a player’s career I can walk with with with like no let’s wait let’s stay here take one more year gain more experience instead of grabbing the first uh the

First offer and looking at your own personal Ben benefit so there’s there’s a lot of reasons why um why I want to why I see myself but on the other hand I also want to have more time for my family as well because it’s been lots of traveling and traveling and traveling

Over the years and I would like to spend time with the family and also my my my business as well so basically that’s what I want to do after my football I’m very excited about it and I’m looking forward to to to this time amazing thank

You for that and I will say when you’re starting your agency please contact me um you know for I want to be involved in football as much as possible you know for it’s very interesting because I’m coming from no football background you know I I’m a guy that just loves

Football so much I decided to start a platform to help push nigeran players players you know um even with the little time that I’ve been doing this I’ve had some impact on certain players I know players that reach out to me I say oh thank you somebody saw me on your page

This happened that happened so I’m trying to still get my feet wet in football so any way that I can be involved in the game you know is something that I would love to do more more it’s it’s really amazing to hear that because you know getting getting

This players contact um um and and person like you now recommending someone to help their career it’s something because now they trust you they know that um you are not just collecting datas following their progress you know a lot of these players they reach out to me hey bro I’m I’m in

This country I’m struggling I don’t know if your agent can help me you know I’ve spoken to you I’ve had my interview with you you have the little bit um um an idea of as a human that I have so I believe you can easily tell someone look

I think this guy can help you and based on his experience he can tell you and then you can tell another person amazing thank you thank you very well said okay and then final question you know I’ve said this many times but this is the final one now

Um so what is your message what is your message to any young boy young girl that is back in Nigeria you know that’s watching this video that’s listening to this conversation and that the dream of playing football you know to the level that you reached or even beyond that

Level what’s your message to them yeah I will say um um the number one thing for me is just God you know I’m I’m very religious I believe in God and I know that um um no matter how hard working you are if you don’t have the

Favor of God if you don’t put God first there will there will always be problems and that’s for me the number one thing the number two thing is is hard work you know God sees hard work is blesses the work of our hands so I would say um always stay hungry and the

Moment you make that first move to Europe I just want you to know that whatever currency you were dealing with it’s naira or other African because I’m sure there are a lot of um a lot of people from Africa who follows you as well that’s not the most you can get

You know there is still another level there is still another another another level to to to to break into so when you get to to to to one level the next level is still open waiting for you and and and trust me the training sections you

Do with your current team is not enough do extra you know I’m not trying to overload yourself but you know just know when and when it’s time to rest and and and also like I like I mentioned during in uh in the beginning there’s a lot of distraction in our generation right now

Which is the social media you know you you can walk into a room in the dressing room and you can see that 95% of everyone are on their phone you know uh 45 minutes 1 hour before the training you know there is a lot you can do in

Half an hour you know you you can go to the gym just do something little that freeze your body and get ready for the training section there is something you can still do after the training so so this this these little little things matters a lot they are little but it

Matters a lot I’m not saying throw your phone away but after training you have so many hours to to till you go to bed in the night to use your phone so just know what is a distraction for you is very very much important like I said

This generation there is a lot going on right now if you if you go to Instagram right now there there are there are thousands of videos you can see within an hour so you just need to know as a professional is it time for you to rest

Is it time for you to sleep are you eating the right food are you are you are you having a positive mind and all these are the things that that that matters the most and this is the thing that that I will advise um to to to be

Worked on because it will get more it will get worse now we are talking to the Next Generation Now who wants to be professional so a lot will happen in the next five to 15 years when they when it’s their time to become professional so if they can start dealing with it

Very much earlier on now at what level they playing Academy or or street football anything at all if they are able to work on these things I think it will be like uh the those are the basics you know once you’re able to control these things from the beginning it’s

It’s way easier when you are going much higher amazing thank you very much for that um this has honestly been one of my favorite interviews that I’ve had so far um because you know you have a very interesting story and I like the advice and just the information that you giving

Us you know and all the learnings from your from your career it’s been a real pleasure talking to you Anon I really really appreciate it thank you a thank you for having me on your show and I hope my story will inspire as someone because um like I said there is there

There is always room for for for more for everyone thank you so much for having me was a pleasure all right thank you very much and thank you for everyone that watched and listened to this um conversation um thank you very much have a great day byebye you too byebye