Super Eagles' new boy hoping to emulate Kanu, Okocha, Mikel after Unity Cup success

Super Eagles debutant Femi Azeez has admitted that his goalscoring exploits for the Nigerian national team have fuelled his intense determination to secure a move to the English Premier League. 

The 24-year-old forward enjoyed a fairytale introduction to international football, scoring twice on his debut against Zimbabwe to propel Eric Chelle’s experimental squad into the Unity Cup grand finale against Jamaica.

Deployed in a creative role in the attack alongside Terem Moffi, Azeez looked entirely at home on the international stage at The Valley. 

The Millwall forward arrived at the Super Eagles camp in London on the back of a sensational individual domestic campaign, racking up an impressive 19 goal contributions in 35 Championship appearances. 

Although Millwall narrowly missed out on automatic promotion and subsequently suffered heartbreaking playoff elimination against Hull City, Azeez's individual brilliance was rewarded with a spot in the Championship Team of the Season alongside his maiden national team call-up.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the final showdown, Azeez made it clear that his historic debut brace, which made him the first Nigerian player in 55 years to score a double on his international bow, has only heightened his professional ambitions. 

"I had a good season in the Championship and obviously, to do it on the international stage as well was just that next step up," the winger explained. 

"Whenever I achieve something, I'm always hungry for more. I'm never satisfied with what I've got. I'm always going to work towards that next level because I'm ambitious as a footballer and as a person, and I want to reach as high of a level as possible," the Millwall star noted. 

Azeez openly confessed his desire to test himself in the top flight, adding, "The Premier League is obviously the pinnacle of football. I'd love to play in the Premier League. So obviously, working hard, I'm going to do whatever I can to get there." 

By eventually stepping up to the top tier, the electric winger hopes to emulate the legendary English top-flight legacies of iconic Nigerian forebears like Nwankwo Kanu, Jay-Jay Okocha, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, and John Mikel Obi.