The 43-year old tactician was a serial winner during his playing days, and he wants to do big things with Nigeria
Former Super Eagles attacker John Utaka has expressed his willingness to coach one of Nigeria’s youth teams, Soccernet.ng reports.
Utaka had a successful career, as he won multiple trophies across different countries. He won the the Ligue 1 with Montpellier, the English FA Cup with Portsmouth, and the Arab Cup with Al Sadd.
He also did well with Nigeria, contributing six goals in 44 appearances for the Super Eagles.
Utaka retired from football in 2020, and he has since gone into coaching. There were even recent reports that he had been appointed as the coach of ASPTT Montpellier’s female team.
However, the former Super Ragles number 7 has thrown his hat into the ring for a national team job. In an interview with Brila FM, he confirmed that he is willing to coach one of the cadres of Nigeria’s youth teams if he is called upon.
“If the NFF call me, I’ll be glad to come. The job is to coach the players to maximum potential,” Utaka said.
At the moment, the major Nigerian youth teams are occupied. Manu Garba is in charge of the Under-17 team, while Aliyu Zubairu coaches the Under-20 team.
Meanwhile, the Under-23 team is currently without a designated coach. Salisu Yusuf was the last coach in charge of the team.
Is John Utaka The Right Man to Coach One of Nigeria’s Youth Teams?
Although John Utaka had a decent career as a player, he still lacks experience on the coaching scene.
Utaka has not coached any professional football team yet. So he might need time to hone his skills and gain some minutes on the touchlines before taking up a job in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, he could still work with the current coaching staff and get some experience.