At 14, I was told by Arsenal that I wasn’t good enough – Iwobi

Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi said he had to prove that he was good enough at Arsenal when he was a teenager, after he was told he was not good enough at the club.

Speaking with the Eagles YouTube channel, Iwobi said that was one of the early setbacks he had to overcome as a young footballer.

He, however, said he did not allow the negative rating to deter him in his quest to become a football star. “When I was 14, I was told at Arsenal that I wasn’t good enough.

“Instead of putting my head down and getting upset, I decided to prove to them that I had the ability to play at Arsenal and luckily, I was able to get through that setback.

“Self-belief comes from within, because for me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. You have to have the belief that you are good enough and you have that ability, not just in football but in everything you do in life. It comes from within, it’s either you have it or you don’t.

He also spoke on the motivation he got from former Eagles captain Austin Okocha, who is his uncle.

“Nowadays, it’s about what he tells me on how to carry myself off the pitch. When I was younger, he told me to enjoy myself, not following his footsteps but try to enjoy football the same way he did,” Iwobi said.