Who are the best Nigerians to have played in the Premier League?

A wealth of footballing talent has travelled to the Premier League from all over the globe. However, Africa has supplied the English game with some of its greatest ever players and goal scorers. Here, we round up five of the best players from Nigeria to have ever graced the English game.

Jay-Jay Okocha

Where else to start than with the man so good they named him twice. Okocha enjoyed a fine four years in England with Bolton Wanderers, where the attacking midfielder was a bit of a cult hero due to his excellent dribbling skills and deft touch. He notched up 14 goals in 124 Premier League appearances from midfield, and was a firm fan favourite.

Following his spell in England, Okocha moved to Qatar for a singular season before returning to England to join Hull City. However, Okocha failed to find the net during 18 games for the Tigers, due to constant fitness and injury worries, and retired following Hull’s failure to get promoted from the Championship.

John Obi Mikel

Whilst never the most glamorous or exciting player, Mikel enjoyed a highly successful 11-year career at Chelsea. The defensive midfielder was not always a fan favourite due to his steady, yet often dull, style of play. But the 31-year-old did what he did exceptionally well and was part of the team that brought Chelsea the best night of their existence – winning the 2012 Champions League final in Munich.

Having notched up over 200 Premier League appearances for the Blues, he will go down as a club legend for the sheer amount he helped them win, including two Premier League titles and three F.A. Cups. Following a singular year in China for Tianjin TEDA, Mikel now finds himself in the Championship, trying to help Middlesbrough earn promotion back to the top division.

Nwankwo Kanu

Our first out and out goalscorer finally joins the list, Kanu is widely considered to be one of the greatest African footballers ever. Kanu bagged 37 goals from 119 Premier League games for Arsenal, and was part of the ‘Invincibles’ that stormed the Premier League during the 2003-04 season. Kanu left Arsenal with an impressive two F.A. Cups and two Premier League titles, along with one Community Shield.

Away from North London, Kanu enjoyed a glittering career path, at the likes of Ajax and Inter Milan, whilst he also had further spells in England with Portsmouth and West Brom. During his time on the south coast, he also helped Portsmouth to win the F.A. Cup during the 2007-08 season, further enhancing his status as a Premier League legend.

Victor Moses

The journeyman of this list, Moses has enjoyed spells Wigan Athletic, Stoke City, Liverpool, West Ham United and Chelsea. One of the many victims of Chelsea’s questionable loan system, Moses has never really settled at any Premier League club and now finds himself, yet again, out on loan at Fenerbache.

However, Moses makes his way on to this list thanks to a two year spell where he became a Chelsea regular. Under Antonio Conte’s stewardship, Moses became one of the best right wing backs in the world as the Blues enjoyed major success in a 3-5-2 formation. Moses was a vital cog in this system, scoring three goals in each season under the Italian and helping Chelsea to their fifth Premier League title during the 2016-17 season. It goes down as one of the greatest position switches of modern the Premier League era, and breathed new life into Moses’ career.

Yakubu Ayegbeni

‘Feed the Yack and he will score’ – this chant would often be heard bellowing out around Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers. Yakubu enjoyed a brilliant spell in the Premier League, and was one of the best and most recognisable forwards of the 2000s. The striker was a force to be reckoned with, consistently scoring goals wherever he went.

During a total of 252 Premier League appearances, Yakubu bagged an emphatic 95 goals, and would often contribute with exquisite hold up play for other teammates. A true legend of the Premier League, along with a vocal cult following, the ‘Yak’ was one of the best strikers to have lightened up the English game.

These players come in no particular order, and we have to give other honorable shout outs to Shola Ameobi, Peter Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins, Joseph Yobo, Celestine Babayaro and Victor Anichebe.

Featured Image Credit: “Members of Nigeria’s football team pose…” (CC BY-NC 2.0) by Mexicaans fotomagazijn