Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha was one of the best players of his generation. In his days, the former PSG of France midfielder was rated good enough to play for any of the leading European clubs. That he did not play for the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan and Arsenal, among other big teams, is still a mystery to followers of the game, who watched the mercurial former Nigerian captain in his prime.

Okocha was so good that no less a football personality than the late king of the game, Pele, chose him among the world’s best 100 players to have ever played the game, while Brazil great, Ronaldinho, described him as a master, who taught him some of his tricks.

While Ronaldinho, who played alongside Okocha at PSG, went on to grace the fields of Barcelona and AC Milan in his illustrious career, Okocha’s game was restricted to Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, PSG, Bolton Wanderers, Qatar FC and Hull City.

Apart from one of his goals being chosen as Bolton’s best ever Premier League goal by a fan vote in 2008; in 2017, Okocha was voted the best player to have ever played for Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok/Macron Stadium.

Despite such accolades, many pundits still believe that Okocha’s was a wasted talent considering his enormous talent. Or is it?
The Guardian caught up with the Super Eagles’ former captain on Friday in Lagos during the unveiling of the programme for the maiden Veterans Club World Cup, which will hold in Rwanda next year. He explained his career’s trajectory.

According to Okocha, “I opted to join Fenerbahce when many clubs came calling for me because they offered more money and better conditions.
“I had offers from several big teams, but considering where I was coming from, I chose Fenerbahce because they gave me what I was looking for.

“You should know that an African footballer is not playing just for himself. He is playing for his family, extended family and his entire community. So many peoples’ lives depend on him and he cannot be frivolous in his decisions.

“It was not easy for an African player to play for top clubs then because they didn’t pay high wages.

“When they offer you a contract, the money is small because they see it as doing you a favour. That is why I went for clubs that were ready to pay me higher. I had to turn down some offers from big clubs because of wage issues.

“You can win plenty laurels during your career, but if you failed to make enough money to help your people, on retirement after a while, you will become irrelevant. Your people will see you as a failure.

“Fenerbahce offered me more money than other clubs and the pay was tax free, unlike in Germany where I paid almost 50 per cent of my earnings in tax. I have no regrets for my choice. But things have changed now, as Africans and Nigerians get bigger contracts overseas.”

On Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, who has chosen to remain with Napoli of Italy instead of joining the lucrative Saudi Pro League, Okocha said the decision to remain in Italy or go to Saudi Arabia is personal, adding that Osimhen should be allowed to make his choice himself.

“Osimhen is still a young man, who knows what is best for his career. I believe he has good advisers, who will help him do the right thing. It is actually a personal decision. But given the same situation, I will head to Saudi Arabia if the amount of money being mentioned as salary waiting for him is real. That is me, but as I said, Osimhen knows what is best for him.”

Contrary to popular belief, Okocha said that playing in the Saudi Pro League does not mark the end of a player’s career, adding that the calibre of players now in the league has raised the standard of the game.

“Players like Neymar, Ronaldo and Mane, among others, know what they are doing. They are still the strong forces in their national teams. Above all, they know that a player’s career can be terminated by one bad injury and so, they want to make the best of their career while they can.

“The young ones can still return to mainstream Europe after sometime in the Saudi League, just as many, who went to the Chinese League, did.”
Since retiring from the game in 2008, Okocha has been involved in many ventures, but not many people know that he also does some charity work. He told The Guardian that he chose to keep his charity work personal, devoid of the publicity associated with many of such pursuits.

“I finance my charity work myself through my foundation. My latest project is an animated series for kids, who did not have the opportunity to watch me during my playing days. Jay Jay, the Chosen One, gives them an insight into how I grew up; it shows them that I was just like them.” Apart from his charity work, Okocha is also into several businesses, which take him all over the world. This is aside his work as a football pundit.

“I try to find new challenges in business and as somebody brought up in the South East, business comes naturally to me. I am into real estate development and I have also invested in the sport betting business.” On the Veterans Club World Cup (VCWC), Okocha said it is a timely competition that would keep retired players relevant in the game.

The VCWC is a yearly championship that would bring retired stars from across the world together to play in a championship, as well as provide an avenue for the legends to leverage on their popularity through their liaison with big businesses expected to be part of the championship.

“VCWC is a brilliant platform for us to learn and have new ideas on what we can do on retirement. It is always good to have the opportunity to learn other ways of doing things; it will provide different opportunities for life after the game.

“The VCWC will also assure the upcoming footballers that they will have something to do on retirement, which will still make them relevant in the game.”

During his playing days, Okocha had the opportunity to play with and against some iconic stars, including many who went on to become the world’s best players. And so, choosing his all-time best 11 is a difficult task, but he settles for goalkeeper Oliver Khan with Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Maldini and Franco Baresi as the defenders.

Also in the mix are midfielders Zidane, Fernando Redondo and Luis Figo, while Ronaldo, Maradona and Ronaldinho are his chosen attackers. Surprisingly, there is no place for Lionel Messi in his best 11.

“Although Khan was not my friend when I was in Germany, he was amazing. He had everything you can ask for in a goalkeeper.

“Cafu, Maldini, Roberto Carlos and Baresi were every coach’s nightmare; how do you prepare your team against them? But to us, playing against them is big motivation to raise your game to a higher level.

“Zidane was an artiste on the ball. He was so elegant and very effective. Redondo’s game was amazing. He was the ultimate planner and one of the best dribblers I have ever watched. Figo is in a class of his own and a dream to watch,” he said.

Okocha, who started playing for Enugu Rangers when he was barely 18 years old, advised aspiring footballers to always be ready for tough times because such moments determine whether they would be successful or not in the game.

“Life out there is not easy, but how you handle the challenges defines you,” he said.