Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has revealed that he used to sell groundnut and washed windscreens in the streets of Lagos State before he became a professional footballer.
The 21-year-old, who made the revelation in an interview with ESPN, played a crucial role for the Super Eagles in the qualification series. He is part of Gernot Rohr’s team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Ndidi, who is a top performer for Leicester City in the Premier League said his path to success was rough as he had to indulge in difficult jobs for sustenance.
He said,
“Sometime ago, I was a jack of all trade while my mum was selling, I’ll go and hawk for her. I sold different types of fruits and not even only fruit; I sold peppers, tomatoes, I sold groundnuts. Sometimes, they call me ‘omo elepa’. That is groundnut boy.
“And then sometimes, when I finish selling, I go to do a quick one for myself. I go for wiping glass of cars, cleaning and If I see I’m not making money, I can quickly go to buy pure water and start selling there.”
Ndidi further revealed that apart from the selling of foodstuffs, hawking in traffic, he also had to do other jobs in order to survive, noting that he actually raised money to buy a new pair of boots from such jobs.
He said,
“My best, I would say was making N3000. I finished selling so quick. I went to do the wiping thing for myself, just four different things I did in a day.
“I was so happy going home because I was saving to buy my football shoes.
Ndidi has come along way since his formative years and is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the World Cup, and will be expected to play a key role for the Super Eagles at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“I was really doing so many things but it was okay.”
