'Chelsea is my team' - Super Eagles goalkeeper reveals his dream Premier League club

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has publicly expressed his admiration for Chelsea, naming the London-based club as his dream destination in the English Premier League.

Maduka Okoye was one of three goalkeepers selected by interim Super Eagles manager Austin Eguavoen for Nigeria's 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda.

The Udinese goalkeeper stayed on the bench as Nigeria earned a 1-1 draw against Benin at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, a result that confirmed their qualification for the biennial tournament in Morocco.

In an interview uploaded to YouTube two days ago, Okoye, who has rejuvenated his career at the Italian Serie A club Udinese, expressed his admiration for Chelsea and highlighted a personal affinity for the Premier League side.

"Of course, playing in the Premier League is a dream for me," Okoye said to SportyTV.

"For me in the Premier League, it's Chelsea. I am not a Chelsea fan but I always kind of supported Chelsea, I wouldn't say Chelsea is my team because my teams are in Germany but in England, Chelsea is my team."

Despite his Premier League ambitions, Okoye remained grounded in his commitment to Udinese.

"But I'm in the Serie A right now. I'm at Udinese and I'm very, very happy here, and I really fell in love with not just the Italian type of football but also the Italian way of living. I'm planning to stay here and enjoy my time in Italy.

His career trajectory has seen a resurgence following a challenging stint with Watford in England. 

After excelling in the Eredivisie with Sparta Rotterdam, Okoye joined the Hornets in 2022 but struggled to secure playing time, making just two appearances in Cup competitions. 

Seeking a fresh start, Okoye signed with Udinese in August 2023. Since then, he has made 33 appearances in the Serie A, keeping eight clean sheets and contributing to Udinese's climb to ninth place in Serie A with 16 points this campaign.

Adeyemi Adewale

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