New Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Raphael Onyedika is hoping to draw inspiration from the legacy of Nigerian great Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha as he begins his Bundesliga adventure with the German club.

Onyedika joined Frankfurt from Club Brugge, signing a five-year deal that runs until June 2031. He will wear the No. 25 shirt.

Other Nigerians to have signed for the German club in the past include striker Isaac Ojigwe (2002-2004), defender Donald Agu (1998-2000), Nduka Anyanwu (1997-1998) and Henry Isaac (1998-2002).

The midfielder won two league titles, the Belgian Cup and the Belgian Super Cup during his time with Brugge. He also lifted the Danish Cup with FC Midtjylland during his first spell outside Belgium.

Onyedika joins the Bundesliga outfit with considerable experience, having made 268 senior club appearances in all competitions, including 24 UEFA Champions League outings over the past three campaigns.

He has also won 26 senior caps for Nigeria and was part of the Super Eagles squad at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, among the reasons Frankfurt had been keen to sign him throughout the summer.

During his unveiling, Onyedika took part in a quickfire session in which he was quizzed on different subjects ranging from music and culture to football.

Asked what question he would ask Okocha if given the opportunity, the midfielder replied, “the things he did that made him succeed in Frankfurt.”

Okocha played for Eintracht Frankfurt between 1992 and 1996, scoring 18 goals in 90 appearances. He became famous in the Bundesliga for his dazzling dribbling skills, with one of his most memorable moments coming against legendary German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn in 1993.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has described it as the greatest goal in Bundesliga history, while Kahn, who was beaten by the Nigerian’s remarkable skill, once joked that he was still dizzy from the experience.

For Okocha, however, the goal remains simply his favourite of a long and brilliant career.

Almost three decades later, Onyedika now has the opportunity to create his own Frankfurt story, with Okocha’s legacy serving as an inspiration as he begins a new chapter in Germany.

The midfielder will hope to get his debut in pre-season before they face St. Tönis 1911/20 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on August 21.