“I looked up to Jay Jay Okocha while growing up” – Mohammed Kudus

Ghana forward, Mohammed Kudus has named Nigeria and Africa legend, Austin Jay Jay Okocha as a player he has looked up to while growing up in Ghana.

Kudus, who recently crossed carpet from West Ham United to Tottenham Hotspur in a six-year deal worth £55m pounds, spoke about what he intends to add to the squad under manager Thomas Frank.

“In as much as I offer a lot offensively, defensively I want to be able to make the team feel like they can also depend on me. The full backs also need me in times like that, especially in games where we have to be defending sometimes so it’s something I am bringing to the team,” Kudus told Hayters TV.

Kudus, 25, who also attracted interest from Chelsea and Newcastle United, scored 13 goals and set up 12 in 65 Premier League games for West Ham, after arriving from Ajax in 2023.

He has managed to hit the ground running, having played in all Spurs friendly matches against Reading, Arsenal and Newcastle United. The Right to Dream Academy product opened up why he adores Super Eagles legend, J J Okocha while honing his talent as a young player.

“I’ve always seen the game like always trying to be different, we have a lot of passers and there is less guys like who try to dribble and take on and that’s how I’ve always grown to play, try to entertain the fans as much as I can so it has always been part of my game,” Kudus said.

“A lot of players but in Africa I will say J J Okocha, I really love how he was playing.”

Kudus played 32 games, scoring five goals last season for West Ham United before switching to join Tottenham Hotspur. He is capped 42 times by Ghana, scoring 12 goals.