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Sam Allardyce says Nigeria's Austin Jay Jay Okocha offered more than entertainment value during his time at Bolton Wanderers.
Former Bolton Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce has named Jay-Jay Okocha as the best player he ever managed during his long coaching career.
Allardyce brought the mercurial Nigerian midfielder to the Reebok Stadium on a free transfer in 2002 after his contract expired at Paris Saint-Germain.
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Allardyce on Okocha
Speaking about his coup in signing Okocha on a video posted on TikTok, Allardyce said: "We signed him after the World Cup had finished from Paris St Germain.”
“We got him on a free transfer. Imagine that now, Jay Jay Okocha on a free transfer."
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The 69-year-old acknowledged Bolton had to pay big wages to land Okocha's signature, but he proved to be worth every penny.
"It did have something to do with the rather large wage we paid. It was what he gave the dressing room as well as the entertainment value he gave on the pitch," Allardyce admitted.
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More Than Just Tricks
While Okocha dazzled with his skills and trickery en route to becoming one of Africa’s greatest players in the Premier League, Allardyce insisted there was much more substance to the Nigerian captain's game.
"He became the captain, he could speak four languages, showed everybody how to play the game of football and some of the tricks, it wasn't just the tricks but the fact that the tricks paid off. He didn't lose the ball, he came to the other end with it," the former England manager stated.
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Okocha quickly became a fan favourite at Bolton, with Allardyce recalling how the crowd loved watching his magic.
"The whole crowd would get on their feet and we were selling these shirts 'Jay Jay so good they named him twice'. What a delight with it, with the quality of Jay Jay Okocha."
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Few Bettered at Bolton
Across his stint from 2002-2006, few players bettered the impact Okocha made at Bolton under the management of Allardyce.
The boss's glowing tribute underlines just how highly he rates Okocha as the best individual talent he ever worked with across his 30-plus years in coaching.
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High praise indeed from one of the most experienced managers in the English game over the past few decades.
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