Nigeria football legend, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, was celebrated by the English Premier League as it marks the 2021 Black History Month.
The EPL recognized the contributions players of African and Caribbean origin have made to the league over the course of the last 30 seasons during Black History Month.
Okocha made his EPL debut in 2002 while playing for Bolton Wanderers (2002–2004) after leaving French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain.
Soon after Okocha had excelled for Nigeria in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Sam Allardyce signed the midfielder for Bolton, saying, “Jay Jay has a tremendous pedigree.”
Okocha led Nigeria to victories at the African Cup of Nations and the 1996 Summer Olympics.
But he found it difficult to settle in Lancashire. His first few weeks at Bolton were hampered by injury after he was substituted at halftime of his Premier League debut, a 4-1 loss at Fulham.
Most players’ confidence would have been destroyed by it, but Okocha was anything but average.
Despite having a roster full of seasoned internationals, like Ivan Campo, Henrik Pedersen, Bruno N’Gotty, and Youri Djorkaeff, Bolton spent the majority of the season in the midst of a relegation battle.
But Okocha’s influence expanded both on the field and in the locker room, where his bilingual skills assisted in creating a strong sense of teamwork.
So good they named him twice, Jay Jay Okocha was pure joy to watch, an artist with the ball at his feet 🖌
We’re celebrating iconic players from around the world who’ve starred in the #PL as part of #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/dDWUtR6DOq
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 6, 2022
Okocha scored one of his best and perhaps most significant goals for Bolton in a match against West Ham United in the middle of April, giving them a 1-0 victory in front of a thrilled Reebok Stadium.
With four wins and three draws in their previous eight matches, Bolton found themselves in a must-win situation against Middlesbrough on the final day of the season. Okocha scored both goals in a victory at Sunderland and the game-winner against Tottenham Hotspur.
If anyone could pull off a miracle goal that kept Bolton in the Premier League for the upcoming season, it would be Okocha.
Half of his career goals for the Trotters (7/24), along with 11 assists, were scored by him before he departed the team in 2006.
Guni Bergsson’s departure at the end of the previous season left Okocha with increased responsibilities, including wearing the captain’s armband.
In 2004, he captained Bolton to their first cup final in nine years, where they lost to Middlesbrough in the championship game of the Football League Cup.
Okocha scored 14 goals in 124 games for Bolton before leaving for Qatar and eventually returning to England to help Hull City win promotion to the top division in 2008. He then retired.
After retiring from professional football, Jay-Jay Okocha established the Jay-Jay Okocha Foundation, whose mission is to use football to promote the strategic importance of education, peace, and unity to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.
