'I Made A Statement Against Ex-Man Utd Skipper Keane' - Yobo Details How He Joined Everton

Nigeria's most capped player in history, Joseph Yobo has detailed how he joined Premier League club Everton after representing the Super Eagles at the 2002 World Cup.

The central defender revealed that former Everton coach David Moyes first scouted him in a pre-World Cup friendly against Republic of Ireland and was impressed after he came out on top in the midfield battle against former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, who was on parade for the Irish at Lansdowne Road, Dublin.

France 1998 World Cup-winning defender Frank Leboeuf, Yobo's defensive partner at Marseille, had predicted that the Nigerian would be successful in England.

"When I was at Olympique de Marseille I played at the back with Frank Leboeuf, former Chelsea defender, so when he saw me he said, 'Wow you are lightning quick', that I was strong and powerful," Yobo said in an Instagram Live chat with the Super Eagles Media Team on Wednesday.

"He said to me that the French League is good, that I'm playing for probably one of the biggest clubs Marseille but he thinks England would suit me so well.

"How I moved to Everton, we played against Ireland in a friendly game preparing for the 2002 World Cup and David Moyes watched me.

"That game I played in the midfield with Jay-Jay, so we were in the middle and we played against Roy Keane, the former Manchester United captain, and I was able to make a statement in that game.

"After that game, David Moyes spoke to me that he wanted me to come to Everton and I made him understand that I wanted to go the World Cup first because even at the World Cup there was something going on with Juventus, a rumour that I was going to Juventus, so I told my agent that I wanted to go to the World Cup and I'm glad my dream came true.

"At the World Cup, people said I was one of the best performers and there were offers from everywhere for me."

Italian giants Juventus and Arsenal had been linked with a move for Yobo but the Toffees eventually won the race for his signature thanks to David Moyes who promised to make him a world class defender.

"My agent told me that we were going to England, London. I didn't want to ask too many questions, where we were going, there were rumours of Arsenal and other teams but I went to Belgium and we took a flight and the flight landed in Liverpool.

"He told me Moyes wants to speak to me, so Moyes took me around the club, told me his dreams and what he expects from me and how good a player he wants me to be.

"Basically he wanted to make me one of the best defenders in the world, those were his words. He bought me lunch and sold the club entirely to me.

"He was a young manager, a former defender, one thing that struck me was he said he wants to make me one of the best defenders in the world, so we spoke with my agent and I decided to move to Everton but they couldn't reach a deal that's why it was a loan," added Yobo.

Yobo recollected that he missed the first few weeks of the 2002-2003 season after suffering an injury in a pre-season friendly and when he returned to action Everton's fortunes improved on the pitch.

"My first season with Everton was even very memorable because it was a loan deal, I had to impress to make it permanent for them to be able to pay what Marseille want.

"This is funny, that was the first time I saw a striker tackling a defender from the back in a friendly game for Everton, somewhere in Wales or Scotland.

"I had this ball, I was in control of the ball, the striker came from behind, tackled me, that's how I was out for about four weeks, he didn't take the ball, he was very aggressive, I got injured in the process, so that's how I missed the first few weeks of my Everton career.

"The season started and Everton wasn't doing so well, I don't know what happened but we had a good team but we were still rebuilding at the same time.

"And I came into the team, we won about four, five, six games in a row and we kept about six, seven (five, ed) clean sheets in a row.

"And at that point the fans voted me the PFA Player of the Month, it's something that I appreciate so much.

"That's how my first season started, I made my mark immediately I came into the team and then I signed a permanent deal for Everton," he concluded.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : fifa.com