By Ayobami Okerinde
Former Super Eagles captain, Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, has named Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho as the most skilful player he ever played alongside.
Okocha, who spoke during an interview with Clutch 9, was reacting to comments credited to Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, who once played with both men at Paris Saint-Germain, admitting he could not decide who was more skilful between the duo.
In his response, the former PSG player made it clear that self-belief was central to his game, noting that he never considered himself inferior to any opponent.
His words: “I can’t say that anybody is better than me since I’ve accepted the title of chief flair officer. He [Ronaldinho] was a genius when it comes to football. Straight away we saw his talent.
“He brought something different, and in a way we clicked, because our foundation was the same. We learnt how to play on the street; we were playing because we loved the game, and with smiles on our faces. It’s difficult to compare both of us because we had a good career, even though he took it higher.
Asked directly to name the most skilful player he played with, the former Bolton Wanderers star responded without hesitation.
“Without any doubt, Ronaldinho,” he said when asked who the most skilful player he played with was.”
Okocha explained that what made the Brazilian special was an instinctive unpredictability that mirrored his own style.
He said, “I could see a bit of me in him; I could see that unpredictability. You don’t know what to expect when he gets the ball, and that was my strength too. Playing together, without communicating, we knew what we were going to do and how to ask for the ball, and I think that natural instinct is what you can’t learn or teach any kid, and that’s what I saw in him.”
The 52-year-old also spoke about confidence and fearlessness on the pitch, insisting that he never faced any tough opponent during his playing days.
He said, “It might sound arrogant, but nobody.
“My strength is when I’ve got the ball, and I have so much confidence that I know whenever I get the ball, I decide what happens, not the opponent. You can be as tough as you can be, but you can’t decide what I can do when I have the ball.
“So, you can only be lucky to guess right, and that’s what helped me because I wasn’t scared of trying things, of playing the game my way but for the team. I never think about who I’m coming up next to, but the club I’m coming up next to. Of course, you have to respect the defenders, who you’re coming up against, because his strength might be defending, but my strength is attacking. If I can’t challenge him when it comes to defending, I don’t expect him to challenge me when it comes to attacking.”
Okocha also singled out the English Premier League as the most physically demanding competition he experienced.
“The Premier League, because it’s a brutal league because it’s quite demanding. In some leagues, you might get away with being 70 per cent fit, but in the Premier League, if you’re not fit, you will be exposed because the pace is something else.”
The post Why comparing me and Ronaldinho is difficult – Okocha appeared first on Vanguard News.
