“He was just useless” – Former Crystal Palace owner admits he should have bought a boat in place of ex-Nigerian striker

Despite being on Nigeria's book for several years, Akinbiyi made just one senior appearance for the Super Eagles.

Former Crystal Palace CEO, Simon Jordan, has named former Nigerian international, Ade Akinbiyi, as the worst signing he’s ever made, Soccernet.ng reports. 

Jordan was in charge of the Eagles between 2000 and 2010 and signed Adebiyi in his second year in charge, but the England-born Nigerian striker never lived up to his £2.2million price tag.

Adebiyi, in 24 appearances for Crystal Palace found the back of the net just three times and Simon Jordan made his opinion about the one-capped Nigerian clear.

“Ade Akin Bad Buy [Akinbiyi]. He just was useless. I wasted my time and money, and he wasted his own time. The reality is how weak one can be when one says ‘I don’t want to do this’ and is worn down by the processes of the manager, eventually knowing something is wrong but you continually do it and then you’re surprised by the outcome,” the ex-Crystal Palace CEO said in quotes revealed by TalkSport.

Asked who was at fault for such a disastrous transfer, Jordan spread the blame equally.

“It was on the player, it was on the manager, and it was on me. I should’ve said no, but the problem is when you’re the owner of a football club you have to back him or sack him. I’m in a situation where this is my champion and he says he wants him. This guy looks bleeding useless to me and is going to cost me a fortune. I was looking at the boat he was buying thinking ‘I could buy that boat if I wasn’t buying that club footed clown that I know isn’t going to be of any use to me.”

“And that’s what I ended up doing and so he proved to be. I got neither the boat nor a decent player.”

Adebiyi never broke into the Nigerian first team due to inconsistencies with his performances at club level.

This post was last modified on September 11, 2024 5:22 pm

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

View Comments

  • He is such a very stupid person.
    That guy is more English than Nigerian, he should not tag Nigeria to his comment.
    He wasn't forced to sign the player

  • Some of these bloody white guys should have shovels shoved down their throats for reeling out vilest against black skin. Just because a player did not gel when you bought him does not give you any right to call him unprintable names. If you look properly, you're more of a moron buying a player who probably had fitness issues at the time. Have you thought about the possibilities of a legal action against you of this should get to Ade Akinbiyi? Learn to be civil please.

  • Jordan, is most useless ever lived, because you are unable to enslave a player born and breed in UK just because he's Blackman an African you now remember his root?
    Buddy, you are very stupid with your useless money, Good for nothing.

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