Tag: Wilfred Ndidi

SUPER Eagles newly-found defensive midfielder, Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi, strongly believes he would make it into the big league. What he did not know is that it would come so quickly.

Few years down the line, the 15 million pounds’ Leicester catch was kicking football in the backwater of Lagos when scout spotted him. He said his local coach was happy to send him away for £80,000 (N32million), but today 20-year-old Ndidi is worth more than £18 million (N7.2billion).

“I joined Genk (Belgium) from Nath Boys of Lagos for about £80,000 in 2015 and, today, I’m worth up to £18.6 million to Leicester,” noted Ndidi who’s the bedrock in the formative stage of the Golden Eaglets that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2013.

Though he had played for the Nigeria national youth’s sides alongside Manchester City’s prodigy, Kelechi Iheanacho, this did not set him up for the massive carrot the English champions had dangled before him.

“Genk is a great side that showed me love and I was prepared to stay with them to learn the ropes of playing in Europe. They did not want me to go, but the big offer was too alluring for them to miss out. Leicester is a challenge, which I gladly accepted from day one.

“Coach (Claudio Ranieri) told me they would expect me to step up quickly and it is a challenge that I love.”

Ndidi loves challenges and his short time in Genk, he says, has been full of challenges. “Defensive midfield has always been a challenging spot. You have to be strong, combative and win the ball for your team, as much as you can.”

Filling the big shoes of (N’golo) Kante, the Chelsea and French international, was a problem at Leicester. Ndidi adds, “But, I made them to understand that I don’t have to be Kante. Kante is Kante. We are different players. I have my own style of play and I don’t want to be under pressure to be another player. I just have to go there (Leicester City) and play my own game. I am more comfortable in the midfield. I am now more used to playing there than in other positions.”

Ndidi’s positive aura and disposition has also helped him tremendously. “I believe very much in positive thinking and it has come to be a part of me. That is why if you look at my twitter handle, I’m always posting positive vibes to encourage others and myself,”

A quick reference to his twitter page threw up these: “It was a nice surprise, but I just had to be ready. Every time in training, I always try to do my best,” he posted after his debut at Leicester.

His post on New Year day read: “Lord, I thank you for 2016 and I’m thanking you for the great and awesome things you’re about to do in 2017 and beyond #itcanonlybeGod”

At other times, he posted: “You must never doubt your ability to achieve anything, become anything, overcome anything and….”

“The difference between here (where I am) & there (where I’m destined 2 be) is T which equals Time. Hard work. Belief in God. #Living4Football”

“It’s a brand-new week. Forget the disappointment of yesterday. Go out and conquer today,” Ndidi posited as he revealed his fore-ward looking demeanour.

In a chat with TAIWO ALIMI, Ndidi offered fresh insights about his humble beginning and why he’s sold on football for good. Excerpts…

Career highlights

I was spotted from Nath Boys FC by scouts of the Nigeria Under-17 national team and I played with Kelechi (Iheanacho) and many great players. I have played in lot of roles and have always given my best for the team. I started as a striker in my early days but I moved to a midfield role later in my career. I got converted to a central defender at the camp of the Nigeria U-17 team and have played as a full back severally.

To be honest, I love playing in the midfield but am ready to play anywhere for my team. The goal is usually to give my best for my team regardless of where am deployed.

Playing in the Europa League for Gent inspired me a lot. I have to thank coach for that opportunity. I played against some big teams and that set me up for what I am doing today for Leicester. I played against Elderson (Chijiene) and it was great. That is where Ranieri saw me and began to follow my games.

Secret of success

I work hard and pray hard too. I strongly credit God almighty for my career rise considering where I was 18 months ago, and where I am now. My coaches in all level have been wonderful as well. My key remains playing to the instruction of the coach for the benefit of my team, and that has helped me a lot in my career.

Inspirations

I read inspirational books a lot and the holy bible is my favourite book. It inspires me a lot, before games, and even after games I go through it. It has worked for me in many ways. Also, I love listening to music before games, and it calms me for the task ahead. Life is about trusting your feelings and taking chances, losing and finding happiness, appreciating memories and learning from the past. Therefore, I try to put my best in every day.

Kelechi Iheanacho

He is a very good friend at the Nigeria camp and now. When I moved to Europe, we became even closer. I think he inspired many of us. He opened the door for most of us to be noticed. He was my teammate at U-17 and 20 levels and now in the Super Eagles. His progression at Manchester City inspired most of us to believe we can also survive in England but we are two different players in terms of role on the pitch and more.

Leicester

The offer from Leicester was unbelievable. Genk wanted to freeze me but that is one offer that can remove barriers. Ranieri spoke with me a lot on my first week there and he gave me the confidence that I can make a difference in the team. My debut was good. I credited Leicester for showing their fighting spirit against Everton and it is a great feeling that we won, and Musa scored the two goals. It felt good, I’m really happy because the lads showed good fight.

What the future holds

Coming to England is a dream come true for me. It’s time to take time to take the next step. I need to make improvements, and move on the ladder. I will put in the hard work and wait for God to do the rest for me. The future is bright for me.

Super Eagles

After playing for the junior teams, I was actually looking up to the Super Eagles. Whenever the Super Eagles were playing, I made it a point of duty to watch them and also follow the game of key players. We have a team of talented players like Victor Moses, who has inspired many of us.

I also follow the Super Falcons and it is great that we are winning again. Super Falcons became champions of Africa for the eighth time and Eagles are winning too.

MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN saw the metamorphosis of Wilfred Ndidi from his early days at the national Under-17 camp and here gives a glimpse about the grass to grace story of the Leicester’s exciting youngster.

If you are looking for a guy who plays football with a smile, you don’t look any further than Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi, the former Nigerian youth international now starring for English Champions, Leicester City. Ndidi was like a breath of fresh air from the very first day he arrived the Golden Eaglets camp in Calabar in March 2012, months after coach Garba Manu and his lieutenants had separated the grains from the chaff from a pool of over four thousand players at the teams’ famous screening ground at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project in Abuja.

From his first touch of the ball at the team’s St. Patrick College training pitch in Ikot Ansa in Calabar, it was there for all to see that there was something special about the languid player as he jostled amongst his mates. He fitted into the team like gloves in the hands of a heavyweight champions.

“I think this boy is special and he would be an important player for us,” Garba, posing with a smile, said in his usual frankness.

Garba has remarkable eyes for talents and without much ado, he had handed Ndidi a pivotal role in the heart of the team’s midfield as well as the vice-captain to inspirational Musa Muhammed.

Ndidi never looked back and was part of the team’s first real test match at the Neros Sport Stadium in Nanka (Anambra State) where the Golden Eaglets defeated the home team 4-1 in the presence of some illustrious names including former Vice-President of the second republic, Chief Alex Ekwueme.

Ndidi was not amongst the goal scorers of the day but he was one of the lynchpins that signalled what was in the offing in the team being put together by Garba.

He would later play the first official role for the team by reading out the FIFA Play Declaration during the team’s first official match away to Niger in Niamey towards qualification for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco in 2013.

Ndidi posted a commanding performance against the Junior Menas of Niger even to the admiration of the team’s leader of delegation to Niamey, Etubom Paul Bassey, who applauded him in his weekly column, saying: ‘Wilfred Ndidi (Nath FC, Lagos) Central Defender. Deputy captain who had to stand in on match day, no thanks to the reading of the FIFA Fair Play declaration. You have to kill him to get to (Yinka) Adewale (the goalkeeper) and he does not die!’

But Ndidi’s ambition to play football to the highest level nearly died on the altar of the almighty Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) Test conducted under the supervision of Dr. Zakia Bartagi, a member of the CAF’s Medical Committee at the Centre de Radiologie (radiographic Centre) in Marrakech on the eve of the tournament in Morocco as he along two others were screened out of the Golden Eaglets much to the disappointment of other players and officials.

A disoriented Ndidi cried out his heart and was a sorry sight to behold on the day the rest of the team filed out for their first match on April 14th, 2013 at the Stade Marrakech where they emerged victorious with a 6-1 thumping of Nigeria’s arch rival, Ghana, at the Stade Marrakech.

Days later, Ndidi was on his way back to Nigeria but with his head unbowed, saying he would be fine on the long run.

“It is painful not to be part of this tournament here in Morocco but I’ll be back by the grace of God; the downfall of any man is not the end of his life,” Ndidi said with a philosophical hue.

Meanwhile, in Mr. Yemi Idowu, the soccer-mad owner of Nath Boys, Ndidi has a godfather and mentor and as they say, ‘some godfathers never sleep.’

Idowu was right there for his adopted son at the moment his football career seemed to be in the valley of despair and he even sponsored him and a few others to watch and support the Golden Eaglets successful campaign in the United Arab Emirates.

“Ndidi is a boy after my heart,” Idowu told this writer in Morocco. “It is unfortunate that he would not be part of this tournament but I’m confident he has a very bright future. And I’m going to support him all the way.”

Months later, Ndidi was back and running in the national team set up with the Flying Eagles under his mentors – coach Garba and Nduka Ugbade. He was part of the team that wrought Gold for Nigeria at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal in 2015 and was also at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand months later where he caught the eyes despite the team’s shock ouster to Germany in the second round.

Thereafter, he was on his way to Genk in the Belgian League straight from the Nath Boys academy.

“Nath Boys academy is one of the best training centres in Nigeria and they don’t just teach you football, but also prepare you for life,” Ndidi, the son of a Nigeria Army sergeant, said in a Sport/Voetbalmagazine interview.

It was at the Lagos outfit that a Belgian scout Roland Janssen reportedly spotted Ndidi in 2013 and was quoted as saying:  “He was tall and lanky, impossible to miss. His calmness was very unusual for such a young player.”

He was invited by Genk and became the first ever Nath Boys graduate to make it to Europe. By the start of 2015, he was ready to join the senior squad and play in the top flight of Belgian football.

He grabbed his opportunity with both hands and the influential Four-Four -Two Magazine further highlighted his rise to fame with Genk stating inter alia: ‘Ndidi initially played as a centre-half, but his versatility saw him deployed as a full-back under the guidance of Alex McLeish. Peter Maes, who replaced the Scotsman in the summer of 2015, decided that the Nigerian’s talent would be of greater use in midfield, largely because he had the lung power to keep running for 90 minutes.

‘The change of position proved an instant success: Ndidi became one of the best defensive midfielders in Belgium, adding more and more to his game with each passing week. An eye for goal was soon discovered. His incredible volley in the 4-2 win over Club Brugge was one of the strikes of the season, while he also earned plaudits for a low drive in the 5-2 demolition of Anderlecht.

‘Ndidi then took his talents to the continental stage this season, featuring in every minute of Genk’s 12 Europa League matches and finishing as one of the top runners and tacklers in both the qualifying rounds and group stage. Now it’s time for him to try his hand in one of the greatest leagues in the world.’

From Nath Boys to Leicester City via Genk to the Super Eagles, this ever-smiling guy is truly living up to the meaning of his names as the word Ndidi means “patience” in Igbo language, while his original first name Onyinye means “a gift from God.”