Austin Jay Jay Okocha, the former captain of the Super Eagles, said yesterday that his footballing days “came too soon.” He was reacting to the revelation that Lionel Messi earns £1 million per week at Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi ultimately left Barcelona to join PSG after more than 20 years, 778 games, 672 goals, 35 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League titles, and other personal records and honours.

Okocha, a quick and skilled playmaker widely regarded as one of the best Nigerian footballers and players to emerge from the African continent, told reporters in a telephone interview shortly after news of Messi’s large salary emerged that his time as a footballer had come too quickly.

“I came too early and Messi came at the right time,” . “If I was paid such amount of money in my playing days, maybe I would have stayed back in France forever. I wouldn’t have thought of coming to Nigeria.” he joked.

During his playing days, Jay Jay Okocha’s dazzling show drew a large number of Nigerian fans to the French League. The Nigerian made a transfer record in 1998 when he moved from Fenerbahce in Turkey to PSG in France for £12.4 million, the largest fee ever paid for an African player at the time. On a free transfer, he departed PSG for Bolton Wonderers in England in 2002.

After parting company with Barcelona, Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or six times, is preparing for a new life in Paris. He believes he has been betrayed by the club to which he has devoted so much. Messi had been asked to accept a 50% pay cut by Barcelona, which he did without even trying to bargain.

However, the club eventually urged him to leave, arguing that keeping him in Catalonia would damage the club.