Iwobi reveals what made Jay Jay Okocha special at Bolton

Everton’s Nigerian midfielder Alex Iwobi has spoken in glowing terms about his uncle, Super Eagles legend Jay Jay Okocha, and described what made him special at Bolton.

Okocha played with Bolton in the Premier League for four seasons, making his mark on the English club with his silky skills and sensational dribbles. 

Okocha achieved legendary status with Bolton for his performances for the club, helping them to the League Cup final in 2004 and the club’s first-ever sojourn into European football. 

He was the club’s player of the year in 2005 and was the BBC African Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. 

Okocha is revered for his distinction as one of the most flamboyant and enjoyable players in Premier League history. 

His nephew, Alex Iwobi, who currently plays in the Premier League with Everton and is a regular in the Super Eagles, has taken time out to speak about his uncle's spell in the Premier League, and how he was able to cope under the strict guidance of Sam Allardyce. 

Speaking with the BBC about Okocha, Iwobi said, I never really trained with him, but lucky I was able to watch his training sessions when he was at Bolton when Sam Allardyce was manager. 

“And I’d see how, obviously Sam Allardyce, he had his way of playing football, but my uncle liked to add a bit of spice, a bit of flair to it,” 

Iwobi also noted that he wanted to follow in his uncle’s footsteps in being unpredictable and ‘spicy’ on the pitch, saying, If my uncle’s able to do that, why can’t I do that?” 

Iwobi might be a long way from achieving the same level of reputation as his uncle, but he has done well for himself since his debut at Arsenal and even in his Everton and Super Eagles career.