Jay-Jay Okocha: I Will Pay To Play This Game!

Mar 5, 2021 - 02:22 pm

By Kurt Buckerfield

Jay-Jay Okocha: I Will Pay To Play This Game!

Speaking exclusively to Soccer Laduma ahead of Der Klassiker between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund this weekend, Bundesliga ambassador and Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha revealed it is a game he would pay to play in.

The Nigeria icon made a name for himself in Germany before taking his career elsewhere, representing Borussia Neunkirchen from 1990 to 1992 and Eintracht Frankfurt from 1992 to 1996.

Today, Okocha works as an ambassador for Bundesliga and he spoke to Soccer Laduma exclusively this week ahead of Saturday's derby between league leaders Bayern and Dortmund, who sit in fifth place on the log.

Asked whether preparation for big clashes such as these are naturally different, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers midfielder admitted that these are the kinds of fixtures players, or at least players like him, would have paid to be a part of.

— Soccer Laduma (@Soccer_Laduma) March 5, 2021

"Well, it's totally different, you know," he said.

"Anybody who tells you it's not different is lying because this is the kind of game somebody like me will pay to play! You know, I will pay to be a part of this kind of game.

"We always prepare for every game, we prepare to win every weekend, it doesn't matter who you are playing against, but these kinds of big matches always play in your head.

"You are constantly thinking about it because you know you are coming up against fantastic players, so you have to psyche yourself, you have to prepare yourself before these games.

"In a special way, in the best way you can get yourself psyched up."

Okocha, who played in the Super Eagles' 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winning team, scored 32 goals and created a further 19 strikes in 76 matches for Frankfurt.