“A special memory”, exclusive interview with FA Cup and Ligue 1 winner John Utaka

It’s not every day you get the privilege of interviewing a man who has won the FA Cup and Ligue 1 in his career.

Nigerian winger John Utaka is a footballer who was played on some of Football’s biggest stages and it was a great honour to ask him some questions for this article recently, as we discussed his time with Portsmouth and winning the French title with Montpellier.

I started the interview by asking Utaka about the start of his career which came with spells in his native Nigeria, Egypt and Qatar respectively, this could be perceived as an unorthodox start to a career but it clearly put Utaka in good stead for his future experiences in Europe, I asked him how much of an impact these spells had on his career.

“It had a huge impact because I learned the fundamentals, things that would later come natural to me like dribbling, ball control and scoring goals.

After an impressive start to his career, Utaka made his first appearance on the worldwide stage by earning a place in the Nigeria team for the world cup in 2002. Utaka explains how this played a part in his first move to Europe, signing for RC Lens in France, how the move came about and why France was the best option.

“The move to Lens came after my performances with Nigerian national team at the World Cup in Korea/Japan 2002. France was the best option because they found me, that’s where I earned the most interest.

After three years with RC Lens, Utaka made the move to fellow French side Stade Rennes in 2005, his time in Brittany was mightily impressive with the Nigerian boasting an excellent goal record during his spell there. I asked him how he reflects on his time with the Breton side.

“I had great time with Rennes and two brilliant seasons there.

“I scored some memorable goals and it proved to be a good moment for the club.

In 2007 Utaka made his move to England signing for Portsmouth, he explains how that move came about and the part manager at the time Harry Redknapp played in the deal.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League so I was interested in the move.

“The Portsmouth manager at the time (Harry Redknapp) came over to Rennes and watched couple of my games he was very keen to sign me.

Utaka featured for Porstmouth in the best moment of their modern history as they proved to be a competitive outfit in the Premier League and won the FA Cup for only the second time in their existence. The Pompey side at the time was littered with quality with the likes of Lassana Diarra, Sulley Muntari and Sol Campbell all part of the ranks. Utaka explained the quality of the squad and the memory of winning the FA Cup.

“Yes, we had great players in the team our whole squad was strong and we played well together.

“Winning the FA cup with Portsmouth was for sure a special memory and one of the best moments of my career “as it was a remarkable achievement.

In 2011, Utaka returned to France signing for Montpellier and was a key part of the team that took a shock triumph winning the Ligue 1 title for the first time in their existence, this proved to be another excellent moment in his career, the 39-year-old explained how special it was to take the title.

“Winning the league title with Montpellier is another unforgettable moment for me. I’m forever grateful for my experience there, and it was amazing to contribute to the teams success.

A prominent figure internationally as well, Utaka would represent Nigeria 49 times in an international career that spanned over a decade from 2001 to 2012. I asked him what it was like to represent his nation internationally.

“Representing Nigeria on the international stage was a wonderful feeling.

“It was my childhood dream that came true and I thank God that I had that experience in my career.”

Now a youth coach with his former club Montpellier I wrapped up the interview by asking John about the possibility of a coaching role in England in the future, he refused to rule out the possibility in the future stating “We will see how things unfold”.

John Utaka had an illustrious career both for club and country and played his part in some excellent team performances in his career. I’d like to take him for taking the time to answer these questions, and it was excellent to hear his insight on some of the best moments of his career, including his time in England with Portsmouth.

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