Jay Jay in his words
Tipster
Bolton and Nigeria star
I grew up in an average family, with two brothers and four sisters.
We've always been a football family. My father and two older brothers
both played and I was encouraged by them.
I would play whenever I could - as soon as I finished school I was out
there playing football.
Jay-Jay in action for Nigeria
There were no grass pitches where we lived, so we used to play on the
street corner, or wherever else we could find a space.
The pitches were very bad, but I think that helped me to develop a good
technique.
Because the surface was so rough, you always had to be conscious of
your ball control and how you passed the ball.
Obviously you need talent as well! In Africa there are many talented
kids, but you have to play all the time to improve your skills.
When I was growing up I was always trying to do something that no one
else could do - to prove that I was the best. That helped me to improve
as well.
I always wanted to be a footballer, but I never thought I could be a
professional. We were just playing for fun, and we never knew that it
was possible to make a living from the game.
Jay-Jay is a team player
When I was 13 I started playing for my school team - the first time I
had played under a manager.
I started realising that I had to keep to my position and play with
some discipline. Before then I was just playing for the sake of
playing.
I love showing off my skills on the pitch. You can make opposing
players look stupid - and that's something they really don't like!
Sometimes they'll be out to get me the next time we clash, so I have to
try and avoid them by doing something else.
But skills alone aren't enough to make a good footballer.
The first thing I learned when I turned professional was to transfer my
skills to the team's advantage.
I learnt to show my skills only when it's necessary - not just for the
sake of showing off.
When I was 17 I was given the opportunity to go to Germany, but I
didn't intend to go there and become a professional footballer.
My brother had a friend who played for a German Fourth Division team
called Borussia Neunkirchen. I decided to go and stay with him.
One day I asked if I could go to training with him and he said yes.
When we got there and I saw the standard of the players, I knew I could
perform at that level.
Jay-Jay in action for Paris St Germain
The manager let me train with them, and after the second day's training
he offered me a two-week trial. Then the club registered me, and my
football career began.
It was all quite amazing - at 17 you live with your parents! It never
occurred to me that I was old enough be on my own and start my own
career.
I found it difficult to deal with at first. I wasn't used to being on
my own and I got quite homesick.
But I realised I had a big opportunity in front of me and knew that I
didn't want to let it go. I knew I had to be patient and grab the
chance I'd been given.
Got what it takes to be a footy pro?
Within a year of moving to Germany I was playing for Eintracht
Frankfurt in the Bundesliga (Germany's equivalent of the Premiership).
It was an amazing experience. I was playing alongside players I used to
watch and admire.
But I didn't find it intimidating. I think one of my strongest assets
was that I was never afraid to play against people who were older than
me.
No matter what level I was playing at, I was never scared. When I got
my opportunity I never looked back - I wasn't afraid of anybody.