Rio Ferdinand: Okocha, my best Nigerian player

Former England international, Rio Ferdinand, says former Nigeria international Austin Jay Jay Okocha is the best player to come out of Nigeria.

Amidst a debate that another former Nigeria international the late Rashidi Yekini is the undisputable on-field player that the country has produced, Ferdinand, who is in Nigeria as a guest of Guinness Nigeria with which he signed a partnership, said in Lagos on Friday that Okocha was easily his pick of the park.

“Okocha was exceptional and he stood out,” the former Manchester United defender said.

“Back then when he was at PSG, myself and friends used to go to the extreme to buy tapes featuring him and we sat back to enjoy his displays which to us were awesome.

“And when he came to the Premier League, first at Bolton and then Hull City, I enjoyed him more on close quarters. He was simply peerless as he was far ahead of his time. I think Nigeria is blessed to have such a wonderful ball player who was in perfect understanding of the entertainment aspect of football. Without any doubt, he was a magician.”

Ferdinand, however, said Ivorien Didier Drogba is his best African player for his strength, mental alertness and predatory instinct.

“Didier was quick, so quick. He could be on the pitch for a whole 90 minutes and sometimes looked harmless. But he wouldn’t fail to latch unto to even the slightest of opportunities to score his goals. He was such a handful all the times he played against me,” Ferdinand said of the former Chelsea striker who retired last week at the age of 40, his cabinet laden with trophies.

Asked what attracted him to Nigerians as he signed the Guinness partnership, the Peckham-born Ferdinand said: “Nigerians are a special breed of people who are bold with strong character and passion for whatever they do. They also have inherent determination to succeed against different odds.”

According to him, Nigerian cuisine has made his visit memorable.

“I love the food and I find especially the jollof rice most interesting and I think I would eat it any day now,” he remarked.