Super Eagles
assistant coach and former Everton forward, Daniel Amokachi, tells NSNO
Everton podcast that he joined the Toffees because of their famed rivalry
with Liverpool, his debut, trophies won and his twin sons at Liverpool football
academy…see excerpt from the interview below:
You signed for
Everton in 1994 after a fantastic effort at the 1994 World Cup in the USA . How
long did it take Everton to make contact after the World Cup? Or was there
interest before the World Cup?
My first option was Juventus, but when it came to money, my
club then, FC Bruges, was asking for a bit more. Juventus pulled back and a few
hours later, my manager called me and mentioned Everton. So I thought, if a
Premiership club comes before Juventus, that would be my first choice. After
growing up in Nigeria, and following the FA Cup, seeing what Liverpool had done
in world football, I thought it would be nice to play for a rival team to
Liverpool.
You were one of the first Africans to play for Everton. Was there a big
adjustment you had to make moving to England?
I left my home and my parents when I was 15 and had to live
with foster parents in Belgium. That propelled me towards choosing Everton.
When I was at Everton, I already had four good years of experience of how to be
alone, away from the family in Africa. When you come to a club and the manager,
the players and fans all embrace you; it makes life easy for you. That was what
kept me going; I never felt like an outcast when I was at Everton. There was a
lot of love surrounding me.
You’re
probably more famous with Evertonians for your appearance in the FA Cup
semi-final against Spurs. What exactly happened that got you on the pitch
because it wasn’t as straight forward as it looked?
Paul Ryder was down and the doctor went to him and gave the
signal that substitution should go on. I just jumped up and started warming up.
And then Joe Royle was telling the doctor to hold on for five more minutes if
Paul could handle it. But Paul couldn’t hold on. So I took the slip to the
fourth assistant for substitution but Joe Royle didn’t know about this. I
jumped onto the pitch and Joe Royle jumped off his seat. He didn’t make the
substitution but I was playing and he couldn’t do nothing about it. It was a
good thing because I ended up scoring two goals within 10 minutes I got on the
pitch. If it had not ended that way, perhaps he would have been fired the next
day. That was one of my breakthroughs at Everton because in the following game
against Newcastle at Goodison Park , I ended up scoring two goals. The
following game was against Sheffield and I scored another goal. If that
(substitution) hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have that chance to start doing what
I was paid for.
Joe Royle said it was the best substitution he
never made
The good thing about it is that Joe Royle accepted that it
was a substitution I made myself. We talked about it, we laughed about it but
it’s not something encouraging that anyone should do.
What was the
atmosphere like in the changing room after booking the ticket to the final in
Wembley?
It wasn’t just the changing room; it was crazy. Every
Evertonian ran to the pitch and we took that spirit into the locker room. Going
back home was incredible knowing that we were struggling for life at the bottom
of the table and suddenly we realised we were in the FA Cup final. That showed
hard work paid off. The good memory was after the game, I was in the locker
room when Jurgen Klinsmann came looking for me. He gave me his jersey and I
just said thanks. That (relationship) was quality stuff.
You got your FA Cup winner’s medal and a year
later, you got an Olympic gold medal. Which one is more important to you?
Being an Olympian is something extra-special when you know
what it is. Growing up watching teams battle to be at Wembley on TV, and as a
child you never knew you would one day be one of the players people would watch
in the FA Cup and walking away with the medal. That’s definitely an incredible
story and it makes it more special than any trophy you win anywhere in the
world. We soccer players (believed) the best moment was when you got the chance
to play at Wembley; and to do that, you had to be in the FA Cup final. That is
a beautiful thing, but it’s not like now that you can play at Wembley when you
get to the semi-final. Back then, some legends said among their regrets was not
playing at Wembley. So for us to play at Wembley at a time we were struggling in
the Premiership meant a lot. What could be better than that?
Have you kept in touch with your teammates?
Yes, I am in touch with big Duncan Ferguson. My twin sons
are in school at Liverpool but I kept everything quiet. They are training at
Everton. I want them to get their education first before soccer, even though
they play better than me. The Big Dunc is one of their coaches.
As an assistant coach in Nigeria, do you think
there are players Everton should be looking at (in the Super Eagles)?
In football now, it is about what areas the managers want.
David Moyes has laid the platform for any manager at Everton to enjoy and have
a good run. No matter what is happening to Moyes at Manchester United, he is
one of the best coaches around. With what he did at Everton, getting them in
top 10 every season with low budget meant a lot; it can’t get better than that.
What Roberto Martinez is doing is bringing in the flair.
Goodluck to Nigeria at the World Cup.
Thanks. We’ve had an experience at the Confederations Cup
last year so we know what to expect. We’ll go there to enjoy ourselves as much
as we can.
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