Brown Ideye Speaks On Being Picked Up By Police In Lagos & A Mother Who Banned Him From Football

Having left home at 16 to pursue football against his mum’s wishes, Brown Ideye is thankful he can smile now. So much so he is able to give a highly animated impression of her watching him play for West Bromwich Albion. It is quite some turnaround given she banned him from playing the game as a 14-year old through fears he would get caught up with criminal gangs on the streets of Lagos.

After his father Joel died, she even sent him to her sister’s remote village eight hours away to keep him from football and, as she saw it, trouble. A decade later Ideye, 26, is West Brom’s £10million record buy and, after initial difficulties, beginning to make good on his pricetag.

Read excerpts from his exclusive interview with Mailonline below;

On life in Lagos and growing up:
‘It’s hard growing up in Lagos. There is always a story to tell in a city like that. My friends were involved in crazy stuff. They were bad boys of the area. I was picked up once by the police. My mum stopped me going out with them. She was upset. Each time I told her I wanted to play football she would say, “No you’re going to be with your friends”.’

On running away after when his mother sent him on holidays:
I was sent to live with his aunt but eventually ran away to train with my old coach and finally told my mum i wanted to make a 200-mile trip to Bayelsa State to play regularly. She didn’t accept. That’s how I left. I went to Bayelsa State then Ocean Boys. Then bam, bam, bam. The bams are Neuchatel Xamax in Switzerland, Sochaux in France, and Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine, where he scored 33 goals in 74 games and earned most of his 24 Nigeria caps.

On reuniting with his mum after signing a professional football contract:
When I got the contract in Switzerland I went back home, sat with my family and had breakfast, dinner, lunch, everyone happy. Afterwards she called me into her room and said, “I’m sorry about everything, your dad is late and I am the only person who can guide you. I looked at what your friends were doing and believed if I left you that is how you’d become.” I said, “I get that.” She started crying. She could not believe she tried to stop me becoming what she is enjoying today.’

On record signing in Westbrom and adapting to life in England:
I took a lot of time to adapt. I was overwhelmed that I am the record signing. I put a lot of pressure on myself. People are not patient. The game doesn’t turn out the way I want, I become frustrated, I keep on pushing when I am supposed to calm down. Things were going so fast.

On the negative effect of social on him during hardtime as a Westbrom player:
As for the social media, you can’t expect everyone to like you. They will say what they want. I don’t see what can shake me given what has happened before. It’s inspiration. They are pushing me to my success. I like people criticising me. One day the people who are saying, “He’s no good” are the same people who will say, “Don’t let him go.”

On his somersault celebration at Villa Park that marked his last goal:

I always did that when I was a child. When you’re excited you find yourself doing things you don’t plan. The fans love it so I will keep on doing it.’