REEBOK CLASSIC

Smiling assassin Okocha's mesmerising box of tricks

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IN THE halcyon days of Soccer AM there was a section of the show dedicated to outrageous bits of trickery that was simply called 'Showboat'.

It was a compilation of brilliant skill from around the world but between 2002 and 2006 there was one man who seemed to appear every single week.

The man who was so good they named him twice - Jay-Jay Okocha.

He was the Nigerian version of Liam Neeson because he had a very particular set of skills, skills acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for opponents.

Quite how he ended up playing under Sam Allardyce at Bolton after leaving Paris St-Germain is anybody's guess, but he will forever be remembered as one of the Premier League's greatest imports.

His journey to football stardom started on the dusty streets of Enugu.