“​Like Marcelo and Nuno Mendes” – Super Eagles new boy tells fans what to expect from him

Alverca defender Isaac James is one of the new players in Eric Chelle's 24-man squad for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, and he has given fans a taste of what to expect from him, Soccernet.ng reports.

​The 22-year-old defender has enjoyed a steady rise over the last four years. He moved to Lorient from Garden City Academy in Nigeria in 2022, and he worked his way up to the senior team.

​The Kogi native then joined Alverca in Portugal in 2025 on a free transfer, and after a tough first season where he was more of a squad player, James has become a key player for the club.

​This season, the Nigerian has featured in seven games and has two assists to his name.

​In his first exclusive interview with Soccernet.ng in the Super Eagles camp, James revealed that although his natural position is left-back, he is more of a versatile utility player, as he can also play as a center-back or midfielder.

​”My best position is left-back. But before the season started, one of our center-backs at Alverca got injured, and the coach told me to fill in there.

​”I said yes, and I played there.”

​Super Eagles: Who Does Isaac James Model His Game After?

​Most footballers have a player they model their game after, and for James, those players are PSG star Nuno Mendes and Real Madrid legend Marcelo.

​”I like players like Nuno Mendes and Marcelo,” James said.

​Then, when asked about his favorite Super Eagles players of all time and in the current squad, he named Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, while interestingly picking Zaidu Sanusi as his top choice today.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Soccernet (@soccernet_ng)

​Due to the stiff competition in the Super Eagles right now, James will have a tough task on his hands proving to coach Chelle that he deserves a starting shirt on Friday and moving forward.

​Even if that does not happen, this remains an important learning curve for him. Being a part of the Nigerian team, he will definitely learn from the other players.