Edinburgh 2016 around March me and my agent sat in a restaurant for lunch when he came to visit me which is like a normal routines.
On that day I shared my dream with him that I would like to use my experience during my playing days to help the young players coming up since I knew how hard it was for me without any serious guardians.
We chatted for hours and I told him I will like to set up a football academy so I can use my experience to help the next generation. He encouraged me, supported me in the way he could and over the year I have been working on it.
Aside the academy I also told him how important it will be for me to be a licensed Football agent and to potentially work together with him in the future.
Our relationship has been very good since we started working together in 2014 when I moved from Red star Belgrade to Vitesse Arnhem and it's still going strong till today.
Footballers shouldn't just focus on playing football alone but also I have their agent help them with life after retirement and to make plans for the future.
Some agents will just focus on the football part and get paid but doesn't care what you do with your money and some will get you the contracts and still help you make plans on how to separate the football from your personal life and those agents are the real deal.
Together me and him have been working on few boys doing well now and I will share the story soon on a particular one that I'm very proud of.
TBC....
I remember travelling for pre season and away games in European games and I will alway be the last person after the security post at the airport. It was so frustrating that I will be asking myself why am I always the last person even when both players and staffs are moving together.
It took me awhile to understand it but after sometime I realised it's was about my passport and other things.
So every time we travel together with the team for pre season or European games I always feel sad because I know what is about to happened at the airport.
Since I couldn't do much about the situation I just had to get use to it and I did until after I became a Swedish citizen and I got my passport.
Many things changed and i remembered my first travelling experience when I got the passport, I was full of confidence that I wanted to see how it will play out this time.
Becoming a Swedish citizen is for sure one my greatest achievement in my career and life because everything changed for me. A lot of interested clubs started coming because to get me in is more easier since I will be counted as a EU player.
I had the opportunity to leave then for money but a good friend told me to stay and make sure i get a Swedish citizenship and that is the best advice I've ever gotten.
I knew few friends back then that we all started at the same time but they left the country for whatever reason and missed out on the chance that could have changed their lives.
The reason why I am sharing this is not because of anything but to make footballers understand if you stay in a country for a long time playing football the reward should be to try and get the citizenship of that country if you can.
Not only that it will help your career but also help you after you stop playing and even a better future for your kids.
In addition this story the club is now willing to do whatever they can to keep the boy and sign him.
They have always wanted to keep him from the beginning but the visa situation and how his agent handled it has been wrong.
I saw him play and I can see he has a good future ahead of him. I asked him when we first met about if he wanted to go back him just incase things didn't work out, he said NO that he believe that things will be fine.
I will come back with full details once everything is settled.
One of the reasons why I want to go into player management after retirement is to help the young players get a better understanding of what it takes in the football world.
I didn't have that kind of help when I first started my career as a professional but along the line I educated myself on how the football world works but with contracts and regulations.
I have played with a lot of young players in all the clubs that I have played in and those who know me well know that my focus is on the young players.
I have made some plans in place to use my experience to improve and help young players in the best possible way.
I have few names that I know and played with that are now doing very well for themselves and I'm not surprised that they are doing very well now.
I'm working on a young boy now and I will be talking about our journey together from the very beginnings and how he's doing now.
I know there are many young boys out there who are in good hands and some are still struggling to find their way out of whatever situation they are now.
The funny part is that after you succeed many agents will be running after you because you have made it and that's when you should focus more on trust rather than money offered by others to leave your agent who has helped you out.
I faced many situations like this in my career but I have always asked the right questions that doesn't sit well with some and when I see that there is some seriousness in our conversations, I will pass them over to my lawyer to deal with them.
I saw a video of Ighalo few days ago talking about his experience on how many agents told him to leave his agent to come work with them but he said where were you when he was nobody.
It's very important to understand what loyalty means in the football business.
TBC.....
The social media has made the young players think that football is all about life style to show off.
Majority of footballers go through depression, anxiety, loneliness, pressure that comes with playing at a good level.
Having a good and strong mentality is what it takes to survive in the world of football today not just talent.
You will have to deal with the media, fans expectations and club. One thing is sure all the football clubs will always protect themselves and anything that will stain the club. So as a player you have to understand the importance of good relationships with others players, coaches staffs, janitors, chefs, kit man etc.
I have always make sure I have good relationships with people in all the clubs that I played for and to maintain healthy friendships with my fellow players.
There are many players who had great relationships with some certain coaches and they always move together whenever the coach change clubs. And there are also situations where players will recommend you to their clubs that they should bring you in if they are looking for players in your position and I have done it before for a friend.
The football world is very small and clubs do research on players they want to sign by calling former clubs, players, staffs, coaches who have worked with the player before. Many get signed for good recommendations why many miss their chances.
I will share a story about what a good relationship with players, coaches and clubs can do for you.
TBC...
La manga pre season camp in January 2012 with Kalmar FF was the turning point for me and I was able to get my breakthrough because I was brave enough to make a with the coach Nanne Bergstrand.
Since joining the club in 2007 December my development has up and down until the final year of my contract.
I was asked to go on loan to Mjällby but I said no because I knew this is my time. During the pre season I wasn't getting games because of the new players like Sebastian Anderson who is the raising star in Sweden that time and a Columbia international Jonathan McDonald.
So I went to the coach Nanne and I asked him why I'm not playing he said I have to wait for my chance but I was not convinced about the response so I asked him again and he said that I'm the 3rd choice striker and I responded that you can gonna be fair about team selections I will show you that I will be the starter.
So we shook hands and a deal was made with Nanne that I have to keep if I want to play.
First few games I was on the bench and I got injured in the third match so I was out for 3 weeks and during that time we were not winning game and the new players are not performing well enough.
So 3 days to complete my rehab i started full training with a in that same 3 days so he called me to his offer and told me I will start the next game and I was like I just started full training but he insisted I should give him whatever minute I can play.
The game was against Häcken at home in Guldfågeln Area, I played 80mins in the match and scored an hattrick and that changed everything for me that season.
I knew it was my last year of my contract so I must go hard so I can move and take the next step.
I became the first choice striker and i ended the season with 18goals and mid way through the season I turned down the offer from Lech Poznan so I can stay and leave for free.
That season taught me that nothing will be given to you and that you have to take it if you want it and that I have to always prove myself and that gave me the mindset to always trust in myself no matter what a coaches says.
Good morning Mutuals….
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I signed for Sölvesborg GIF August 28th 2006 after a successful trial and thanks to Coach Marik for the opportunity and trust in me.
I joined Sgif with 8 games to go but I was able to play the last 5 games and scored 5goals to save the team from relegation. During this period I was playing for free but I could go to the restaurant where the club fixed for me to have to meal per day.
The first football boot i used was from my very good friend David Löfquist and he also game me his PlayStation to keep me busy because I was always alone most of the time.
At the start of 2007 season i signed a one year professional contract with SGIF and this is when my journey began.
Lasse was the guy who picked me up from Copenhagen when I first arrived and he was still this guy who did the most for me. Bosse Anderson was the guy that sponsored my contract.
2007 season was the beginning of my journey and i became the best player in the Div 4 with 18 goals and that was not even enough to get me to the first league then, So I had to do a trial with Orebrö SIK a first division team.
The trial was for a lot of players in both Div 4 and 3 who are looking for opportunities with the big boys and it was a successful day for me and I was the talk of the country with teams like Malmö, Hammarby, Djurgården, Helsingborg, Kalmar FF, Trelleborg but I choose Kalmar FF and it was the best decision I've ever made in my career.
I paid a visit to Sölvesborg GIF 2 years ago to see those people who helped me and the place I used to sit in the locker room still has the number of goals that I scored that season and that make me very proud.
August 2006 I left Nigeria to chase my dreams of becoming a professional footballer. I arrived at the Copenhagen airport not knowing what will happen because I don't care about things but just to play football.
So after I got picked up by two guys who later became friends with me and supported me through my journey.
Everything I was told changed when I got to Sweden but I didn't care about anything else but to have a chance to show my talent.
My first trial was good but no space for in the team to sign me and with 1 week left on my visa I was so desperate that I started training with some female club just to stay fit.
During this one week I got a call to go train with another club in Blekinge area south of Sweden and they were playing Div 4 at that time. After 3 days of training the polish coach then called Marik change my life.
He took me to the board and say that he believe I can help the team out of relegation and with 1 day left on my visa to expire, the club was able to keep me and the rest was history.
I remember walking 10min everyday from the one room apartment they kept me to shower at the stadium and I did that for 6months straight and I was playing for free with no salary but I didn't care because I believed I will make it.
I saved them from the relegation that season and I was also the best player in the league the next season and moved to a first division team and became a League champion and first in the club history.
I have learned in my journey that when you put your mind to anything and you're ready to sacrifice for it, the universe will give you more than you ever imagined.
True story!!!