Former Super Eagles star, Mutiu Adepoju, has described some of the country’s footballers as second best players in the world.
Adepoju said Nigerian players found it difficult to get into top clubs in the world because they were not well-developed and there was a need to look into such anomaly.
“Top clubs in Europe and especially in the LaLiga, English Premier League, always go for the best in the world; when you are second best, you will not get a look in, or when you are not well developed, you won’t get there. LaLiga is trying to make Nigerian players develop and make them be at per with the best in the world,” the player popularly called the Headmaster during his playing days said in respect to the partnership between the LaLiga and the League Management Company.
Speaking further, Adepoju said LaLiga decided to partner with the Nigeria Professional Football League through the LMC because of the array of stars in the country.
According to him, there is a need for the clubs to help in developing the players which will surely aid the development of the country’s football at the world level.
He added: “The LMC is trying everything possible to develop the game in Nigeria, and it is now left for the clubs to key in into what the league body is doing.
“How many of them have U-10, U-13 and U-15 in Nigeria? That’s part of the plans of LaLiga to impart that playing pattern to them from that very tender ages, so they can grow with it.
“The clubs should know that they should be at the forefront of developing players in the country. The LMC took some of the club’s administrators to Spain and showed them how things is done over there, but how many clubs have replicated what they experienced during the trip? Practicing what they learnt will help us a lot in the country.”