“Jay Jay Okocha worth £100m in today’s market” – Sam Allardyce

By Dayo Awoniyi

Former Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce has stated that Nigerian football legend Austin Jay Jay Okocha would be worth an impressive £100 million in today’s transfer market.

Allardyce, who managed Okocha during his time at Bolton between 2002 and 2006, lauded the Nigerian midfielder for his exceptional skills and impact on the team, described him as a world-class talent.

“When you are talking about somebody with the class of Jay Jay, both on and off the field, and what he brings,” Allardyce speaking on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast.

“The Premier League, in our opinion, and based on what the stats were showing, was catching up with him a little bit.”

Reflecting on Okocha’s time at Bolton, Allardyce recalled how the Nigerian’s flair on the ball and his memorable moments elevated the team.

“Sometimes I look back at short clips of Jay Jay Okocha at Bolton and when you put them all together—some of the runs he made, the passes, the tricks, the goals he scored—it makes you tingle. There were him and many others; what an era that was,” Allardyce reminisced.

When asked about Okocha’s worth in today’s market, Allardyce confidently replied, “£100 million.”

Allardyce also expressed his surprise that a top Premier League club didn’t snap up Okocha after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired in 2002.

“I’ve always said, why did nobody else take him in the Premier League? What reputation did he have that said he’s not for us on a free transfer?” he questioned.

Okocha eventually joined Bolton on a free transfer, and Allardyce praised his ability to adapt to the team’s playing style.

“Somebody must have thought he wouldn’t fit into the structure of the team, but he took instructions better than anybody else. The manager wants to play like this, and we play like this and get on with it—that is him as captain,” Allardyce explained.

Allardyce also reflected on the emotional moment when Okocha left Bolton in 2006, describing it as one of the saddest moments of his managerial career.

“Probably one of the saddest things, when you’ve got what you consider a world-class player, and when my job is to say it is the end. That is one of the hardest things you have to do as a manager because nobody believes it. I didn’t when they told me,” Allardyce admitted.