Jay Jay Okocha has quickly become a crowd favourite after signing a one year deal for Hull. He is a member of the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé in conjunction with FIFA's centenary. Okocha's previous club was Bolton Wanderers and he was regularly selected for the Nigerian national team from 1993 until 2006. He was also captain of the Super Eagles when he retired from international football at the 2006 African Cup of Nations. Okocha has played at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup finals and many African Nations Cup tournaments. He was also a member of the Nigerian team that won the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Givemefootball's Lawrie Madden caught up with him after seeing Hull defeat Ipswich at the weekend.
Q:A CONVINCING WIN IN THE END?
A:Yes. We played Chelsea last week and the biggest thing we learned from that game is that we have to be more ruthless and clinical in taking our chances and against Ipswich we did. We created chances against Chelsea and that shows how far we have come as a side but against Ipswich we converted them. We learned a big lesson after playing Chelsea.
Q:NOT AN EASY GAME AGAINST IPSWICH THOUGH?
A:They caused us problems before we scored. We knew it would be tough. People talked about the early kick off and the effect it has on players but players prefer early kick offs so they can get home early. We can't make excuses.
Q:WHERE DOES THE TEAM GO FROM HERE?
A:There are many positives to take as we are all still learning and trying to improve our game. Our main target is to do well in the league and we showed no problem to switch back into the bread and butter games. The league is our main focus now.
Q:HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING LIFE IN HULL?
A:Life is good. The team is improving with every game. The only thing we are lacking at the minute is the points in the league but we are in the middle of two home games which if we win will see us move up the table. It takes time to settle in for any player, but I've been used to playing at different clubs in different countries during my career. Football has its own language so I've had no problems being here and getting to know the rest of the players.
Q:HOW IMPORTANT WAS PHIL BROWN IN BRINGING YOU TO THE CLUB?
A:That was important because I knew him from my Bolton days and but the most important thing for me was the welcome I received from the team, the coaching staff here which has made my arrival and my stay here easy. It has been an enjoyable experience so far.
Q:A SETBACK AGAINST CHARLTON, IMPORTANT YOU BOUNCE BACK?
A:Yes, it was disappoing to lose so now it is vital that we get a good result against Crystal palace next Saturday and then we would be in a good position coming up to the international break
