“When he was there, you didnt need floodlights” – Peter Drury waxes lyrical about Super Eagles’ greatest

The British football commentator has received worldwide acclaim for his expressive and extremely literate style of commentary

World-renowned commentator Peter Drury has revealed his admiration for Nigerian football great and former Super Eagles captain Austin JJ Okocha.

Okocha was already a big favourite among Nigerian, Fenerbahce, and PSG fans before he arrived in England to join Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 2002.

And after winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, Okocha’s legendary status in Africa had been secured.

But English fans knew very little of the gifted playmaker.

That changed quickly, though, as Bolton Wanderers, with Okocha pulling the strings in midfield, became tough to beat for many clubs in the Premier League.

With his tricks, dribbles, goals, and free kicks, Okocha was the toast of Premier League fans and watchers.

Despite paying for lowly Bolton, Okocha won the BBC Footballer of the Year award twice.

In 2017, the midfielder was voted the best player to have ever played for Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok/Macron Stadium.

Okocha is widely considered to be one of the most talented players in feature in the Premier League.

And top football commentator Peter Drury has revealed he is one of those who holds the Super Eagles great in high esteem.

“You go back to Jay Jay Okocha who’s towards the start of the Premier League era,” Drury told Supersports.

“And he was just a beautiful conjurer. And he was one of those who you thought understands how lucky he was to be a professional footballer. He played with a smile. He was an entertainer. He was a juggler, a conjurer, and a dancer.

“The great commentary line on him of course wasn’t it, ‘Jay Jay Okocha – so good they named him twice, Jay Jay.”

When asked if he had coined the famous line, Drury admits,

“No, not mine, somebody else (did) but it was a great line. And he played for Bolton Wanderers which is not one of the natural winners. But they had an incredible team. They qualified for Europe and all that under Sam Allardyce.

“He (Okocha) was just fun. When he was there, you didn’t need floodlights. He lit the place up. And what a free-kick he would take.”

Arguably Nigeria’s greatest-ever player, Okocha was named Nigerian Footballer of the Year a record seven times.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt star won the Best Player award at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations.

Last year, Okocha was also included in the IFFHS’s All-time Africa Men’s Dream Team.