Over the years, the English Premier League has been a very happy hunting ground for Nigerian players, with a host of Super Eagles stars making their mark on the most exciting football league in the world.
The Premier League continues to be home to many of our players, with Wilfried Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Semi Ajayi among those currently flying the country’s flag in England.
In this article, we look through the rich history of the English Premier League and pick out our top five Nigerian players.
Celestine Babayaro
Former Super Eagles left-back was one of the early pace-setters for Nigerian players in the Premier League, paving the way for his compatriots to flourish in England. He was a mainstay in the Chelsea team in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
Babayaro played for Chelsea between 1997 and 2005, before moving over to Newcastle United in the latter stages of his career.
He was part of the Chelsea squad that won the old UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1998, and tasted FA Cup success in 2000.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni
Despite not playing for the traditional big clubs in England, Yakubu Aiyegbeni remains one of the finest goal-scorers in the Premier League, banging in 95 goals in 252 matches.
After helping Portsmouth secure promotion to the Premier League in the 2002-2003 season, The Yak made an instant impact in the English top flight, scoring 16 league goals for the modest club in his debut Premier League season. He was one of those players we could always count on to deliver goals week in, week out.
Many of us have made money from backing the Yak to score in online betting sites in Nigeria!
The former Eagles forward went on to play for Everton, Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers, and remains the highest scoring Nigerian player in the English Premier League till date.
John Mikel Obi
John Mikel Obi’s move to England was shrouded in acrimony, with Premier League giants, Manchester United and Chelsea involved in a bitter tussle for the signature of the then teenage Mikel.
Such was the talent of the young man, who was named the second best player at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2005, behind Lionel Messi.
Mikel eventually signed for Chelsea, where he enjoyed a decade of tremendous success. Beyond his contributions on the pitch, where he played as a defensive midfielder, the most impressive thing about Mikel’s Chelsea career was his longevity at the club.
Players and managers came and went through the Stamford Bridge door, but Mikel remained a constant. He wasn’t always a starter, but he remained a crucial member of the squad.
Mikel won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, and was part of their Champions League winning squad in 2012. He played all 120 minutes in that European final against Bayern Munich. He also won three FA Cups, one League Cup and a Europa League title in a trophy-laden spell in London.
Jay-Jay Okocha
Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha did not move to England until much later in his career, arriving on a free transfer in the summer of 2002. The talented playmaker delivered four entertaining seasons at Bolton Wanderers, famously inspiring Sam Allardyce’s men to Premier League survival in 2003.
Okocha went on to captain the side, leading them to a runner-up finish in the League Cup in 2004. He might not have lifted any team silverware in his time at the Reebok Stadium, but he received quite a few individual accolades, including the Premier League player of the month award in November 2003, Bolton’s player of the year honours in the 2004-2005 season.
Jay-Jay lit up the Premier League with his incredible ability on the ball, and remains one of the most skillful players ever to grace the Premier League.
Kanu Nwankwo
Kanu Nwankwo played for three English Premier League clubs, but it was at Arsenal where he truly made his mark.
The Nigerian was part of the great Arsenal team of the early 2000’s, winning the Premier League title in 2002 and 2004- the season of the invincibles.
After a quiet spell at Inter Milan, during which he was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and underwent surgery, Kanu joined Arsenal in 1999, and enjoyed a revival under Arsene Wenger.
He subsequently played for West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth, where he won another FA Cup title in 2008, adding to the two he picked up at Arsenal.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a great footballer and my favorite player. He is a fitness freak and my inspiration. I love watching his gameplay. I can bet on football matches that when Ronaldo is playing the chances of winning increase for Ronaldo’s team.