Oh, to be an Arsenal supporter in the spring.
Everywhere you turn, especially across north London at the moment, fresh hopes for the future are blooming.
But as Tottenham and Leicester battle it out in an unlikely Premier League title race, Arsenal fans have again been left with an all-too-familiar feeling of ‘what if?’.
A last-gasp victory over the table-topping Foxes in February was supposed to be a catalyst for a renewed title charge, but belief was soon burst with defeats to a depleted Manchester United side and struggling Swansea City.
The dismantling by Barcelona was as routine as annual calls for Arsene Wenger to leave, while Adlène Guedioura’s thunderbolt for Watford brought an abrupt end to hopes of a third successive FA Cup.
It has been difficult to find any positives amid the doom and gloom, but the emergence of academy starlet Alex Iwobi is at least one silver lining.
The talented teenager impressed on his Champions League debut in the Gunners’ second leg visit to the Nou Camp and, just three days later, he followed that performance with a goal on his first Premier League start at Everton.
Iwobi was on the scoresheet again in the 4-0 thrashing of Watford last weekend, earning praise from his manager for his promising displays.
“The fans have seen many good players over the years and they know straight away when a player has something special, so they acknowledge that,” Wenger told Arsenal’s website.
“You cannot cheat people. They’ve seen how quickly he’s improved and how well he’s played. It’s surprising how quickly he has integrated into our game.
While even some Arsenal fans are wondering where Iwobi has surfaced from, one person who isn’t surprised by his meteoric rise is uncle and former Premier League star Jay-Jay Okocha.
JOE caught up with the Bolton and PSG legend in Paris for the launch of Nike’s new video Fais Briller le Jeu (Spark Brilliance), which tells the story of how France international Blaise Matuidi was inspired by Okocha’s brilliance as a youngster.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDLrF5FG2Z6/?taken-by=joe_co_uk
JOE: Hi Jay-Jay. How proud are you of your nephew Alex? He’s showing great promise at Arsenal this year.
Jay-Jay: Sometimes it’s difficult to find words to explain how you feel, but it’s a dream come true. I wished to have a son who played football, that followed me. And instead it happens to be my nephew who grew up in my house.
I’m so happy for him and for his courage. It’s very rare that a player comes through the youth team and makes it in the first team. We know how hard it is because the club can always buy whoever they choose.
Did you watch his Champions League debut against Barcelona?
I watched the Everton game with family at home, but I went to the Barcelona game with friends. It was amazing to be there live watching him play in the Nou Camp in the Champions League. It was the best feeling in the world. And I thought he had a fantastic game, it’s unbelievable to see him doing so well at this stage.
Did you speak to him after the game?
I spoke to him after the Barcelona game. He didn’t know I was there, I didn’t tell him as I didn’t want to put him under pressure. It was my decision just to let him do his thing. Then after the game I sent him a text to congratulate him and wish him luck for the Everton match. Fortunately it worked because he went on and scored his first goal.
Did you always think he would make it as a footballer?
Oh, on many occasions. We’ve always had trust and belief in him. We’d kick a ball around in the garden and I could tell straight away that he’s got a special talent.
I told his dad to encourage him and his parents deserve a lot of credit. They went through a lot to make sure he got to where he is today. It’s not easy after work to sacrifice what you’re doing and take your child to training every day.
Who does Alex look up to in football?
I think it should be me, I’d be disappointed if it wasn’t! It’s all about him understanding what it takes to make it.
It’s hard to get there in the first place, but to stay there is even more difficult. It’s my responsibility to pass on my experience.
Do you see any of yourself in the way he plays?
He does have skills like me, but I think you can see the grassroots basics in him, which didn’t have.
I didn’t go to any academy, I learnt how to play on the streets. But you can see Alex has been taught from a tender age. He’s got the potential to be a lot better than I was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jMRZfv4EQw
Nike film Spark Brilliance ft. Blaise Matuidi tells the story of how a moment of brilliance from Jay-Jay Okocha inspired a young Matuidi. Learn more here: http://news.nike.com/news/fais-briller-le-jeu
