Why Etebo’s move to Stoke City is a step in the right direction

English outfit Stoke City just confirmed the signing of Nigerian midfielder Oghenekaro Peter Etebo from Portuguese side C.D Feirense. Etebo put pen to paper to a lucrative five year deal worth €7.2 Million. Etebo was on loan to Las Palmas last season from C.D Feirense, after he joined the club from Warri Wolves in 2016.

Etebo is primarily a midfielder versatile enough to play right back in defence. He is reliable enough to get goals, he loves running from deep and once scored 17 goals from midfield in the NPFL – the only player to ever do it.

Etebo’s transfer to relegated Stoke City makes sense in a number of ways in spite of their absence from the most popular league in the world. A few individuals might disregard this move and state that Nigerian players should be moving to bigger teams in European football but that viewpoint does not give correct consideration to the conditions Etebo was in Portugal.

Feirense finished 16th in the Portuguese league last season, and Las Palmas – the team he was loaned to was relegated from La Liga. Stoke City might have been relegated from the English Premier League but the English Championship side is still a level up ahead of the teams he played for previously.

The Championship has a significantly higher following in Nigeria than the Spanish Second Division and also the Portuguese League. The EFL Championship is also amongst the top five leagues in Europe with the highest match attendances, giving Etebo not only the chance to shine, but the opportunity to guide the team back into the Premiership.

Etebo’s signing to Stoke City also comes with a very rich reward for his services and more importantly, adapting to life in England will not be as difficult as it was in the Iberian peninsula of Portugal and Spain.

Nigerian fans will hope Etebo’s signing will fuel him with the necessary hunger that will translate into good performances at the World Cup in Russia. Nigeria kick-off their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Saturday.

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