Jay-Jay Okocha joined ambitious Championship outfit Hull City on Tuesday and insisted he had been guided by God.
The former Bolton and Nigeria captain, 34, turned down several of Hull's
Championship rivals to join Phil Brown's men on an initial 10-month deal, with
the option of a further year.
Okocha was a free agent after growing bored of life at Qatar Sports Club and
is reunited with Brown after the pair worked together at Bolton.
And the mercurial midfielder looked ripe for an Indian summer as he proved his
fitness in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Sheffield Wednesday this
morning.
Okocha, a devout Roman Catholic, returns to England after a one-year spell in
Qatar.
He said: 'I always ask God if it is his will, and if so, then let it
be.
'Whatever comes out of it I will accept it. That's the message I got and
that's why I'm here at Hull.
'My faith comes before anything. It has also taught me to respect and admire
people for what they are and who they are.
'I pray a lot and it has helped me throughout my whole career to stay calm
and focused.'
Okocha's decision to swap the Middle East for Hull has raised eyebrows but
there is no doubt something stirring in this corner of East Yorkshire.
Hull is the largest city in Europe never to have had a top-flight football
club but the Tigers could hardly be accused of lacking ambition.
Following a £10million takeover of the club in May by media mogul Paul Duffen,
Hull smashed their transfer fee last week when they paid £1million for Wigan
striker Caleb Folan.
Okocha, who did as much as anyone to inspire Bolton's remarkable rise to
prominence in his four years at the Reebok Stadium between 2002 and 2006, is
seen as the man to transform Hull from perennial strugglers to promotion
candidates.
Okocha added: 'I've not been playing at the highest level in Qatar but the
problem is they don't get any crowds and there's not the same atmosphere.
'That makes it boring and that's one of the reasons why I decided to come
back.
'People in Nigeria weren't happy that I went to Qatar. They said `why did you
go there of all places?'
'They missed watching me on television but sometimes you have to think about
yourself and your future as well.'
Okocha, capped 73 times by Nigeria, looked in decent shape against Wednesday
alongside Henrik Pedersen, another former Bolton man recruited by Brown.
'Having worked with Phil at Bolton, I now hope to repay him for this
opportunity,' said Okocha, who could make his Hull debut in next week's home
clash against Stoke.
'Hull have got ambition and that's what Phil got across to me. They've got a
new chairman and they're looking to the take the club into the Premier League.
'That's what attracted me here and that's my ambition too. I'm 34 years
young, I'm fit and I can still do it. I'm looking forward to proving that.'
Meanwhile, Hull have confirmed that Folan has been released from hospital
following the head injury he sustained in last night's 2-1 defeat to Blackpool
after tests revealed he had suffered nothing more than concussion.
