| Jay-Jay Okocha: stats | - Real name: Austin Okocha
- Born: 14 August 1973
- Birthplace: Enugu, Nigeria
- Height: 173cm
- Weight: 70kg
- Current club: Bolton Wanderers
- Previous clubs: Borussia Neunkirchen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbache, Paris St Germain
- Honours: African Footballer of the Year 2003 & 2004
- Played in three FIFA World Cup finals
- 62 appearances for Nigeria
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Jay-Jay Okocha has been dazzling Bolton fans with his skills ever since he came to the Reebok in 2002. But he has never forgotten his humble beginnings in Africa. Jay-Jay grew up playing street football in a town called Enugu in southern Nigeria before a lucky break led him to his first club in the lower divisions of the Bundesliga in Germany. Since then, he has played in three World Cup finals, has twice been crowned the BBC African Footballer of the Year, and is captain of both Nigeria and Bolton Wanderers - where he now lives with his family. As part of Africa Week on BBC GMR, he spoke to reporter Jonathan Ali: What is your earliest memory?
 | | Nigerian children playing football |
Your earliest memory as a child would be just being on the street, being able to express myself with the ball, because that was all I was doing, playing football, Did you have a football to play with? Not really, as far as I can remember, we used to play with anything, with any round thing we could find, and when whenever managed to get hold of a ball, that was a bonus! I mean it was amazing! How did you get from the streets of a small South Nigerian town to European football? When I finished my secondary school, I managed to get a trip to Germany. I never thought that would be the start of my career in Europe. After training with a third division team for two weeks, they said that they would love to sign me. And that was how my career started. How does life in Bolton compare with life in Nigeria? Life in Bolton... you can't really compare with life in Nigeria because this is now my working place. I don't really see much, it's all about staying focused and having a programme to follow. In Nigeria, it's like a more free kind of life - it's all about being around family, and celebrating. Do your children consider themselves from Bolton - or Nigeria?
 | | Jay-Jay: so good they named him twice |
I don't know! I try to convince them that they are from Nigeria but of course being here has given them better opportunities to go to a better school. Because we were colonised by the British, most of the people in Nigeria speak English. But I think they are enjoying life in Bolton. What do you miss most about in Nigeria? I miss that family-ness, you know. Being with family, just laughing - because with our mentality we do laugh a lot. We are happy people, you know and that is what I miss. Would you describe yourself as being homesick? No - not anymore because I've been away from home so long now that I've made this place my home now. When you were growing up, did you ever imagine that you would end up as captain of a Premiership club like Bolton? Never, never.. in my wildest dreams! I never thought that I would even have the opportunity to play in England so it's more than a dream come true! | 
