Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes the celebrated Super Eagles trio of Jay-Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Nwankwo Kanu left a lasting mark on black players across the world, crediting their influence far beyond Nigerian football.
All three played prominent roles for top clubs across Europe during their careers, earning respect for their technical quality and flair.
Softfootball understands that Okocha’s style in particular helped shape the games of several players who came after him, including Germany’s Mesut Özil and Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, who lined up alongside him at Paris Saint-Germain.
Ferdinand explained the effect the trio had on players growing up watching them:
We used to watch Jay Jay Okocha’s videos, and everyone wanted to play like him.
It was great seeing him in the Premier League after making his name with Eintracht Frankfurt and PSG.
He went on to underline just how significant their collective impact was during that era of Nigerian football.
Nigerian players of that era, Okocha, Oliseh, Kanu, had a huge influence on black players worldwide,
Ferdinand said, reflecting on a golden generation whose reach extended well beyond the pitch itself.
