John Utaka declares interest in Nigeria’s coaching job

John Utaka ceased playing professional football at the conclusion of the 2017–2018 season

Former Portsmouth player John Chukwudi Utaka has an eye on coaching any of the Nigerian national teams should the chance arise, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nigeria’s 49-cap top scorer in the 1999–2000 Egyptian League declared that this would be a chance for him to give back to his homeland.

Utaka began his academy before being appointed in 2020 as an assistant coach for the Montpellier U19s. The former Lens footballer earned his UEFA A licence in 2022 and is now working towards earning his UEFA Pro badge.

The 41-year-old played for 13 different clubs throughout the course of his career, which spanned three continents. After retiring to a coaching position in France, he spoke with Soccernet.ng about his desire to share his knowledge with his nation.

“If the opportunity comes to coach Nigeria in the near future, that is something I would love to embrace as well because that is another way to give back and show your experience with your own country as well,” he said.

Due to his fast legs, Utaka has mostly been used as a pacy winger throughout his career, which makes him a very useful component of a team’s counter-attacking style of play.

Given that he has aspirations to manage his nation and become the first African coach to win the UEFA Champions League, it wouldn’t be surprising if this were to become his primary coaching approach.