Nigerian ex-international striker, Richard Owubokiri has cast his mind back to the beginning of his career and recalled how Monday Sinclair, an iconic former coach of Sharks of Port Harcourt, was ‘fundamental’ to his career.
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Sports247.ng recalls that Owubokiri, who was fondly called ‘Ricky,’ started out as a teenager with Sharks, from where he went on to hit huge records in Brazil and Portugal.
He has now taken his mind back to the very beginning, giving credit to Sinclair as the foundation of his football career and his grandmother as his first motivator.
Owubokiri, who almost switched nationality to play for Portugal at the peak of his career, when he was snubbed several times by Nigeria’s selectors, also thanked God for giving him a rare talent.
He said, “It’s something I can’t explain, but God knows how it happened. I was very fond of playing soccer.
“Everywhere I went, I usually had a small ball with me. I remember the role of my grandmother when I was six, seven years old.
“I lived with her. I was born in Port Harcourt, at number four Enugu Street. We had a very small backyard where we used to play.
“I also used to do very well in school. So, my granny used to ask me what I wanted as a present. I always said she should bring a football for me.
“Whenever I did well in school, she would always give me a football. That encouraged me to play, and that was how everything started.”
While Owubokiri recalled his grandmother’s role in encouraging him to play football, he disclosed further that it was Sinclair who shaped him to become a professional footballer.
“Monday Sinclair is a man I will forever be grateful to. He was fundamental to my career.
“I was just 15, 16 and playing for college. One day, in a game we played against Enitonia High School at the stadium in town, I scored four goals.
“He came to me and said he would love to drive down with me to my home because he wanted to see my parents.
“That’s how he met my mum and dad. He told them to allow me to start training with Sharks football club.
“It was a shock and surprising news to me. I joined Sharks, and I learnt many things under Monday Sinclair.
“He really played a great part on my career as a football player,” Ricky recounted.
Sports247.ng recalls that Owubokiri eventually played only 23 matches and scored just a goal for the then Green Eagles of Nigeria.
He was a member of the squad that failed to go beyond the group stage at the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations in Lybia, but was dropped from the Eagles’ pioneer World Cup roster at USA ’94.
Ricky, who also played for clubs in France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, scored his only national team goal on October 10, 1992 during a 4-0 win over South Africa in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers.
Credit: ELEGBETE TV SPORTS
