Okocha Names Ronaldinho Most Skilful Player He Ever Played With
Former Super Eagles captain Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha has named Brazilian legend Ronaldinho as the most skilful player he ever shared the pitch with.
Speaking in an interview with Clutch 9, Okocha responded to comments by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who once played alongside both men at Paris Saint-Germain and admitted he could not decide who was more skilful.
Okocha credited self-belief as central to his game, saying he never considered himself inferior to any opponent.
“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.”
When asked to name the most skilful player he played with, Okocha did not hesitate: “Without any doubt, Ronaldinho.”
He explained what made the Brazilian standout was an instinctive unpredictability that mirrored his own style.
“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.”
Okocha also spoke about confidence and fearlessness on the pitch. “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.
“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 concluded by singling out the English Premier League as the most physically demanding competition he experienced.
“The Premier League, because it’s a brutal league. 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.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
