Okocha Named In Best 50 EPL Performances

By Daily Sports Nigeria on June 18, 2022

Former Super Eagles captain and Nigerian football legend, Austin Jay Jay Okocha’s performance against Tottenham has been named one of the best 50 in the Premier League era.

In a list compiled by The Athletic writers from 309,949 options, the best 50 performances in the last 30 years of the Premier League era sees Okocha’s performance against Tottenham in November 2003 stand at number 47.

The only goal of the game came from former Bolton Wanderers captain, Kevin Nolan but the finest performance of the day, and one of the best of many years to come was Okocha’s sizzling display on the day.

Acquired from PSG, Okocha hit the ground running at Bolton, and gave the club a new story alongside other great professionals like Nolan, Ivan Campo, Fernando Hierro, Jared Borgetti, Youri Djorkaeff etc.

Bolton manager at the time, Sam Allardyce recalled the performance as the moment the London teams began to see Bolton as a good team.

“That was the first time the London boys started talking about what a good team we were,” Allardyce tells The Athletic.

“They suddenly realised the quality of player we had.”

Okocha joined Bolton at 28, years after he had starred for the Super Eagles and Dream Team at USA 94’ World Cup and Atlanta 96’ Olympics. It also luckily became arguably Okocha’s best spell at any club.

“We flew out to Paris before the World Cup,” says Allardyce. “We never really got any real response in that meeting, but to our surprise after the World Cup, and after a long conversation, we went back out there and struck a deal in Charles de Gaulle airport,”

“The main object was for Jay-Jay to play in the Premier League,”

“Players were coming from all over the world in the early 2000s, because it was clearly the best place to be, the best place to play football and the best place to get paid as well. He wanted to broaden his experience in football — and in culture, if you like. He’d experienced the German way, then Turkey, then France then he wanted to come to England.”

“Nobody would have thought I would fit with his philosophy, but we understood each other,” said Okocha. “I managed to convince him that if we got the balance right, it could work for us. When I first got there I was like, ‘Wow’. His philosophy was the quickest route to goal, and he doesn’t like players fannying (note: Okocha really did say ‘fannying’) around at the back. It gave him a heart attack.”

Okocha left Bolton as one of the greatest African exports in the history of the Premier League.

Source Sporting Sun

Posted June 18, 2022


 

You may also like...
Manchester United Vanquish Newcastle With Three Late Goals...

S’Eagles to get new coach in two weeks...

Lampard Rules Out Ever Managing Spurs

‘Mourinho rattled and looks outdated’

NPFL mid-season tansfer window opens

Gallant Falcons arrive from Australia

 

Latest News Nigeria beat Cameroon to reach IHF final 27 schools for Doregos Basketball Championship Super Falcons to play France’s Les Bleues in friendly SWAN suspends ban on coverage of Anambra FA activities Joshua among boxing’s top three earners in 2024 Oshoala makes history with Bay FC Nnamani hails team over IHF bright start Flamingos lift U-17 W’Cup Fair Play Trophy Rangers Intl, SWAN partner on sports collaboration in SE LAGOS SWAN CELEBRATES AIG ZONE 2 ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND 30 DAYS IN OFFICE Traders Cup: Upholstery Soccer Team Secured 2nd Win To Advance To Round Two Lagos SWAN Celebrates Oba Akiolu, Iyaloja General, AIG Fayoade

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,141 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,269 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,350 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (43,991 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,931 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,879 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,718 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,289 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,332 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,035 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,489 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,916 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media