Biography
Extravagantly skilled Nigerian midfielder Okocha Joined City for a single season in the twlight of his career, reunited with his former Bolton first team coach and now first team manager Phil Brown. Okocha made relatively few appearances due to injuries and suspensions, failed to score a goal and only really showed his full capabilities in a handful of matches. But his signing, an astounding achievement for a club that was played in the fourth tier three years previously, was totemic and played a key role in engendering new-found confidence in the Hull City ranks.
Born Augustine Azuka Okocha but commonly known as Jay-Jay after his brother, Okocha was born in Enugu in Nigeria and played for his local side Enugu United as a youngster. At 17 Okocha travelled to Germany to watch football and promptly signed for lower league Borussia Neunkirchen. This launched a career that described a steep upward trajectory as he moved through Eintracht Frankfurt and Fenerbache on his way to Paris St Germain and then, in 2002, Bolton Wanderers. In four seasons at the Trotters he became one of the Premier League’s most skillful players and Bolton club captain. By 2006 he had fallen out of favour and spent a season in Qatar before joining the Tigers.
Okocha retired from his playing career when he left City in Summer 2008, and subsequently fulfilled football administration roles in Nigeria.
Jay-Jay was one of Nigeria’s finest international players, debuting in May 1993 and collecting 75 caps and fourteen goals in total over a 13 year period.
Details
Nationality: Nigeria
Date/Place of Birth: 14 August 1973, Enugu (Nigeria)
Hull City First Game: 15 September 2007, Stoke City H (Championship), 34 years, 32 days old
Hull City Final Game: 18 March 2008, Colchester United A (Championship), 34 years, 217 days old
Clubs
Enugu United (1989-1990), Borussia Neunkirchen (1990-1992), Eintracht Frankfurt (1992-1996), Fenerbache (1996-1998), Paris St Germain (1998-2002), Bolton Wanderers (2002-2006), Qatar SC (2006-2007), Hull City (2007-2008)
Hull City Record
Career: 19 apps, 0 goals
Jay-Jay Okocha| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 | 10 (8) | 0 | - | - | 1 (0) | 0 | - | - | - | - |