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Nigerian midfielder Ogenyi Onazi has disclosed why he did not sign for Chelsea early in his career after excelling for the Golden Eaglets.<\/p>\n
31-year old Onazi says that he came close to signing for Chelsea as a young talent but was hindered by age restrictions.<\/p>\n
Onazi, plays for Italian Serie C side Avezzano Calcio was once-upon-a-time a regular feature with the Super Eagles of Nigeria, earning over fifty caps for the national team.<\/p>\n
The former Lazio midfielder was a crucial part of the Super Eagles\u2019 success in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), playing every minute of the knockout stage matches.<\/p>\n
His journey to the top started early when he represented Nigeria at the age of 16 during the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup hosted in Nigeria, where the Golden Eaglets lost in the final to Switzerland.<\/p>\n
Recounting his early career experiences, Onazi shared that he had trials at Chelsea as a young player, but the move couldn\u2019t materialize due to age restrictions.<\/p>\n
Despite being on the verge of joining the London club, his manager decided to explore options in Italy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to sign for Chelsea, but my manager decided that we should go to Italy. When I was young, I almost signed for Chelsea, but we were underage and couldn\u2019t play. We had to wait until we were 18,\u201d Onazi revealed.<\/p>\n
The midfielder explained that the lengthy process and age restrictions played a significant role in the decision to pursue a move to Italy.<\/p>\n
The choice to start with Lazio\u2019s second team provided a developmental path, allowing him to progress to the main team as he matured.<\/p>\n
Onazi\u2019s career has seen him play in various leagues but he has since gone off the spotlight he enjoyed between 2010 and 2019.<\/p>\n
As Nigeria competes at the 34th AFCON in Cote d\u2019Ivoire, mentions will be made to Ogenyi Onazi and other members of the 2023 Super Eagles nations cup winning squad.<\/p>\n