TheCable

Azubuike Egwuekwe, the Warri Wolves former captain and Nigerian Premier League (NPL) icon who is in Finland to start his professional football career, has declared from his new base that he will not miss the club he has been with for eight years.

Speaking with TheCable on phone, the big defender said that although he would continue to love the club “dearly”, he was still hurt by the way he was treated.

“I was with Warri Wolves for more than eight years,” he said on Monday, one day after arriving the northern European country.

“It’s a club I love dearly – a club I worked for, served and I learnt a lot from them too, but they did not treat me well. I am not going to miss them at all especially for the way they treated me.

“I am very happy to leave Warri Wolves because every football player will want to play his football abroad. So, it’s a good thing for me.”

Azu, as his teaming fans call him, revealed that despite his omission from the Super Eagles team list in recent times, he would still love to represent the team.

“Of course!” he exclaimed when asked if he still wanted to play for the Eagles.

“It’s painful to me because I still have enough to give to my country. I still desire to serve my country. But what can I do? I won’t force myself to serve my country. If they want to use me and invite me, I will come.”

Egwueke reiterated his ambition to play in Europe but said his motivation was beyond money.

“Money is not a factor for wanting to play football abroad. It is something I love to do, then money follows,” he said.

“I just want to play this game as a career. So my desire first is to work hard and money will come in after. One of my dreams is to go and play my professional career in England but as this is not happening one has to start from somewhere.

“So going to Finland is not too bad. From here I can go to anywhere.”

He also told TheCable he was already missing his family but that he has a plan in place to join him soon, saying: “I have started missing my family already.

“One good thing about my new club is that they have started working on my family joining me. This is going to be very good for me if it happens.”