AT 32, former Super Eagles striker Peter Utaka has kept on living like a legend in Asia and his current goal-scoring form in the Japan J-League has distinguished him as the best import from the African continent to one of the most enterprising leagues in Asia.
With a record 52 goals in Denmark, his move in January 2012to the Chinese Super League club, Dalian Aerbin, was greeted with much applause and he did not disappoint. He scored 20 goals in 28 games in his first season, playing alongside former Barcelona players such as Fabio Rochemback and Seydou Keita, as well as former Australian International player, Mille Sterjovski, and former PSG player, Guillaume Hoarau. He also scored 11 consecutive fixtures to establish a new C-league record.
He transferred to Beijing Guoan in July 2013 in 2million Euro transfer, which made him the most expensive international signing in the history of the club. Utaka scored 15 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions for the club, before he was loaned to Shanghai Shenxin during summer transfers in 2014, managing to score only four times in thirteen appearances in all competitions for the Shanghai outfit.
In January 2015, Utaka transferred to J1 League-club Shimizu S-Pulse. The club faced a difficult season that year as they were battling relegation. At the end of the season, Utaka scored nine goals in 28 appearances, and the club ended up being seventeenth-placed, thus relegated into the J2 League.
Because of his huge profile, he was loaned to J1 League defending champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima this year where he rediscovered his scoring prowess and so far has netted nine goals in 10 appearances.
The experienced striker said he wants to keep scoring.
“I want to keep playing and scoring goals for my clubs, I am blessed with talent and I am thriving hard to ensure I don’t waste it, and probably that’s why the goals can’t stop coming for my club,”Utaka began.
He added: “I always drive to be on the pitch and give my best because that’s what I am being paid for. I think I am still much motivated and thriving to improve my game.
“My experience as a striker is also one of the reasons why I have not stopped scoring goals. And as a matter of fact, I have not stopped learning. It’s just all about drive; the hunger is still there, so I am giving it everything.
“Sometimes, football is not all about age, it’s about your ability, it’s about what you can deliver and also the motivation to keep doing what you know how to do best. I know what football has done for me and that’s why I am giving it back on the pitch.
“There’s no secret to my goal scoring, it’s just that I score with great anticipation and humility. And another great thing about this team is that we play for each other, there’s a formula that suits the team and that’s why we always look different at every point in time. Our formula is play for one, and one for all.”
The younger brother of John Utakafurther shed light on why he’s doing better than younger strikers on the continent.
“Football has gone beyond age, it’s all about what you can do. It’s all about what you have learnt and your ability to be creative among your team mates so that you can deliver. I am not perfect but I always make up for the lost opportunity.”
He continued: “When I arrived at the club from Pulse, I could see the anticipation of the fans and the club management due to my past exploits. I knew I came here to score goals and the fans and my team mates were so happy to have me around them. They treated me well and they are very honest and appreciative people I have known. So, scoring goals for the club is the best thing I can do to appreciate them.”
The former OB Odense of Denmark who left the Danish league said he is still agile enough to carry on his playing career but will hang up his boots once his energy and body system begin to complain.
“I’m still fit, and I always feel motivated by my fitness. It is very difficult to decide when I am quitting because I am still on top of my game and it will be difficult to say no to football but when my body system tells me, I will quit. But for now, I am still as fit as a 20-year-old.
“Football is fun to me. I see it as fun where people gather to be happy. It gives you lots of joys and happiness, it gives you opportunity to see and meet lots of great people in the world. So it’s always sad to quit, but you can find back your joy when you quit well. When you leave with a good legacy in which younger players can always look up to you.”
Soft-spoken Utaka disagrees with the insinuation that he moved to Japan for the money.
“Every footballer has a dream. Do you agree with that? Dreams come before money and you can make money from your dreams, but the bottom line is that God’s blessing remains for life. I can tell you that these younger players only anticipateto be on the pitch and model their lives to some great legends but along the way, you can make money. And as a matter of fact, football business is growing and many people are benefitting, so I won’t discourage any player who plans to make his billions of dollars because it’s a business world.”
According to statistics, Peter Utaka is among the top five big earners among Nigerian footballers abroad. He has also invested wisely in real estate and shipping.
