Regardless of who you are or where you're from, I feel there are just some aspects in life that are incredibly hard to explain and rationalize. My story with Bangladesh would probably fall into that category. It's a wicked tale and I'm not sure I can do justice to it. But let me try.
I was born in Nigeria and like most kids in Africa, I picked up football in the streets. And it captivated me from a very early age. I have 16 siblings, but I remember being the only one in the family who used to ask for football kits and boots for Christmas. It was a nice time, we lived in a fantastic neighbourhood, my father was one of the wealthiest people in the community, and we had a really loving family.
Things took a turn for the worse when my father passed away. I was only six at the time, and I remember the sacrifices my mother had to make after his untimely demise. In my mind, my mother is an iron lady; she was so strong for us, and worked extra hard to take care of all 16 of us to ensure we had a healthy life and a safe upbringing.
In Nigeria, the Premier League is huge. So many Nigerians and African players have played in that league that if you're a kid who loves to play and watch football, you're going to be hooked to the Premier League. It's just an unwritten rule, really. I remember being mesmerized by Kanu, Beckham, Henry, Pires, Drogba, and all those superstars on TV.
I'm a Gunner myself, and I'm still as committed to Arsenal as I was as a little boy. Even to this day, if Arsenal are playing, then I'm completely switched off for those couple of hours. I actually become a different person when Arsenal lose. I'm that crazy about them, and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way!
I knew I was talented at a very early age. And I knew I wanted to take up football professionally. I was better than players who were much older than me, and that enabled my elder brother to believe in my abilities as a footballer. He used to play too, but he knew I had it in me to go pro. He was instrumental in my journey because he was the one who enrolled me into my first football academy. He used to work at the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), and they had a football team called NPA FC. I joined them at the age of 11, and from there I made the jump to the Nigerian 2nd Division and eventually the Nigerian 1st Division.
It was in my early 20s when I decided to leave Nigeria and try my luck at a foreign league to develop myself further. I had an offer for a trial at a club in Uzbekistan, but once I reached there, I could sense that something was not right. There were some issues with my work permit and the only way to solve this was to apply for the permit, leave Uzbekistan, and then come back after a couple of weeks. The Uzbek club officials were arranging for me to go to Malaysia, but as luck would have it, something clicked in my mind right at that moment. I remembered I had a friend in Bangladesh, so I thought it would be better to go there. And that's how Bangladesh came into the picture in my life.
