Former Nigeria international Peter Ijeh has revealed how he nureed up good relationship with Sweden legend, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the superstar duly recognised him in his popular book, Completesports.com reports.
Ijeh who played for Nitel United FC and Julius Berger FC in the Nigerian domestic league before heading for Sweden, revealed that he once mentored Ibrahimovic in the game of football while the Swede’s was growing up.
Ijeh played alongside Ibrahimovic at Malmo FF in Sweden – a team he joined after emerging as the highest goal scorer in the Nigerian league with Julius Berger of Lagos in the 1999/2000 season.
“Zlatan was 16 years old when I started putting him through on the various ways of achieving the ultimate in the game,” Ijeh disclosed while fielding questions as an interviewee on FCT Football Updates.
“Then, he [Ibrahimovic] always said he wanna be like me, play like me. I mentored him.
Also Read: ‘My Two Daughters Play Like Me, Super Falcons Call-up Good’ –Peter Ijeh
“That’s why he wrote about me in his book “I’m Zlatan”.
“He is a great guy, and a humble person,” Ijeh said.
Ibrahimovic, now 39, currently plays for erie A side, AC Milan. Obviously in the very twilight of his career, the big Swede who prides himself as ‘The Lion’is one of the most awarded players in world football today with 31 trophies won across different top European leagues and clubs, such as; Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG and Manchester United. He has so far netted over 500 goals for both Sweden and his clubs.
Ijeh, 44, now lives in Gotenburg, Sweden, with his family after playing his last club football for the city’s club, GAIS, in 2012. But it was at Malmo FF that he earlier made waves in the country, emerging as the Allsvenskan (top league) highest scorer with 24 goals in 2002 – the same year he was invited to the Super Eagles, and went on to play five times for Nigeria.
He also played for IFK Gotenburg, another big Swedish side he joined as a high profile signing in 2003.
Ijeh also played in Denmark for FC Copenhagen, in Norway for Viking FK before returning to Sweden to play for Stockholm-based side, Syrianska FC, and GAIS, in Gotenburg.
He studied at Gothenburg University, the Swedish Football Federation (SvFF) coaching school from where he bagged
an UEFA A licence. He has worked at Division 2 Västra Götaland (Swedish fourth tier league side, Assyriska BK, as head coach.
5 Comments
“…Ijeh played alongside Ibrahimovic at Malmo FF in Sweden – a team he joined after emerging as the highest goal scorer in the Nigerian league with Julius Berger of Lagos in the 1999/2000 season….”
Biko, someone should remind us of where the highest goal scorers in the last 10 years in the “MANY TALENTs” filled NPFL have progressed to and ended.
Nice observation there @Dr Drey. The proponents of ‘rubbing shoulders’ and ‘gaining confidence’ will never listen.
Since Ahmed Musa in 2010, our league of many talents has not produced one player that made it straight into mainstream Europe, yet they’re clamoring for home based to come and rubb shoulders and gain confidence. The best transfers from NPFL in the past 10 years has been Efe Ambrose and Juwon Oshaniwa to Ashdod in Israel(courtesy of national team invites), Obinna Nwobodo to Hungary, Etebo to 2nd division in Portugal (also courtesy of national team invite) and very few others. Our dear Sunday Mbah even ended up moving quietly to 3rd division club in France after his SE heroics , yet we talk about a league in shambles and they ignore.
Of all the Nigerian born players currently featuring for the SE, Etebo is the only one that tasted action in the NPFL. What a sad tale.
This is the same league that produced a certain Emmanuel Olisadebe in 1996. This guy started for Jasper United like a house on fire in January ’96, topping the scorers chart in Nigerian league alongside Peter Anyilobi of Enyimba and Ochuko Utovbibi of Concorde. He moved to Poland by mid-season, picked a starting shirt instantly and simply continued from where he stopped at Jasper, instantly becoming a household name in Poland. 2 years later in France ’98, he was already leading Poland’s attack in the world cup and scoring in the process. This guy wouldn’t have even made it to the SE as at then, but his likes was what the Nigerian league was noted for.
We criticized the Nigerian league back then too, but the situation is worse off now, cuz the would be Peter Ijehs and Olisadebes only play for academies and from there find their way to Europe, so the NPFL misses out on talent sourcing.
Our $1m rated Anayo has been in the news courtesy of his promoter’s PR mercenary, but unfortunately clubs and agencies that know their jobs will never fall to any PR stunt. He will certainly be on his way out of the NPFL very soon, but by the time he signs that contract, you bet his promoters will ensure it isn’t in the news for obvious reasons, if you understand my drift.
I keep laughing whenever I read stuff from the proponents of ‘shoulder rubbing ‘ and ‘gaining confidence ‘. No be only shoulder them go rubb , them go rubb hom hom too.
Person wey play for Sweden still top goals chart
never get talent? Na wa o… You for give him
connect go Real Madrid na?
Did you see the year he played in the Nigerian league or should we wait till tomorrow for you, for your hangover wear off…?
20 years ago the highest goal scorer in the Nigerian league moved to the biggest club in Sweden (not on trials) and continued from where he stopped in Nigeria…banging goals with reckless abandon there.
20 years later no topscorer from the league has crossed the Mediterranean sea for over 10 years…even in the rag tag places they found themselves….they forgot their ways to the goalposts….and you think the league then and now are the same…..LMAOOoo. Westerhoff scouted their league in the 90s, Rohr must also do same in 2021…..LMAOOooo.
We dey talk Z he dey talk A….LMAOoo…and he wants to lead oyinbo men….LMAOOoo. You will show me where I said he doesn’t have talents
From the above write up,it means Peter Ijeh retired at the age of 32,hmmm Nigeria players.