Why I joined Rivers United – Finidi George

Former Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George, has revealed why he joined NPFL side, Rivers United after handing in his resignation letter to the Nigeria Football Federation, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 53-year-old tactician was assistant under Jose Peseiro during the AFCON 2023 tournament, before taking on a permanent coaching role with the Super Eagles in May.

However, the results didn't pan out the way the former Ajax winger intended it to, leading him to step down from his position as the coach of the three-time AFCON winners.

Barely a month after quitting his role, the former Enyimba International coach has been snapped up by NPFL side, Rivers United, and he revealed why he chose to sign with the Port-Harcourt-based club.

“First I have to say I am very happy to be here. This is where I grew up; I started my football career in Sharks back then. I left this place as a footballer and I'm back as a coach. As a coach, there are chapters you have to close and new ones have to emerge. Rivers United is a very big team seeing the results in the last season inspired me to come back and see how I can impact a little bit. I’ve been working in Abia State for some time and I think this is an opportunity for me to give back. I decided to take this challenge to come back to Rivers State. I’m not here for fun. The target for a big team like Rivers is all about winning. We all want results but we have to work towards it. The target is to at least get the continental ticket next season and we will try our best to do that”, the former Ipswich Town right-winger said in quotes revealed by Naija News.

Finidi had a successful spell with Enyimba International in the 2022/2023 NPFL season, lifting the league and mounting a worthwhile challenge in the next.