Former Super Eagle Captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has stared that if he had earned the big weekly wages of £1 million as new PSG player, Lionel Messi will earn in the club, he would have considered staying back in France and not bother coming back to Nigeria.
Okocha, who joined PSG in 1998 said the move came too early in his career while Messi came in the club at the right time.
Messi’s 21 years relationship with his former club, Barcelona came to shocking end last week after the Spanish giants opted not to renew his contract which had expired in July 1.
Messi played 778 games, scored 672 goals, won 35 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and numerous personal records and honours with Barcelona since joining them as a kid in the year 2000. This includes winning Balloon d’Or six times.
Okocha, a quick and skillful playmaker, who is considered as one of the best Nigerian footballers and players to come out of African continent, told The Guardian in a telephone chat soon after the news of Messi’s big pay broke out that his time as a footballer came too early.
“I came too early and Messi came at the right time,” Okocha joked. “If I was paid such amount of money in my playing days, maybe I would have stayed back in France forever. I wouldn’t have thought of coming to Nigeria.”
Jay Jay Okocha’s magical display lured many Nigerian fans to French League in his playing days. In 1998, the Nigerian set a transfer record when he left Fenerbahce in Turkey to PSG in France on a fee of £12.4 million, which was the highest by an African player at that time. He left PSG for Bolton Wonderers in England in 2002 on a free transfer.
For many Nigerian fans, Okocha’s magical skills on the field of play is comparable to whatever Messi offers in present day football.
Messi now prepares himself for a new life in Paris, after he parted ways with Barcelona. He said he feels betrayed by the club he has given so much to. Barcelona had asked Messi to accept a 50 percent reduction in wages, which he accepted without even trying to negotiate it.
But the club later told him to leave, claiming that getting the Argentine to remain in Catalonia would ruin the club
Okocha, 47, made 84 appearances for PSG, scoring 12 goals.
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