Police arrest couldn’t stop me from playing football – Ideye

In an interview with UK’s Daily mail, the former Dynamo Kyiev player recall how he was once picked up by the police after an outing with his friends which made his mother vow never to allow him go out with them again. The player says he had to fabricate a lie whenever he wanted to […]

In an interview with UK’s Daily mail, the former Dynamo Kyiev player recall how he was once picked up by the police after an outing with his friends which made his mother vow never to allow him go out with them again.
The player says he had to fabricate a lie whenever he wanted to go out and play saying his mum is his biggest fan at the moment
Squinting to study an imaginary television, his arms flap wildly. “Don’t kick him!” he shouts, mimicking his mother Teresa’s voice. “Ref can’t you see!” he jabs his fingers. Gesticulating how his mum always watches his games.
“Each time West Brom play my mother is wearing my shirt, sitting down in front of the television and she is praying,” Ideye laughs.
It is quite some turnaround given she banned him from playing the game as a 14-year-old through fears he would get caught up with criminal gangs on the streets of Lagos state.
After his father Joel died, she even sent him to her sister’s remote village eight hours away to keep him from football and, as she saw it, trouble.
A decade later, he is Baggies £10 million record buy and, after initial difficulties, beginning to make good on his price tag.
He scored two goals in the last round to do more than any in the 4-0 destruction of West Ham United, and is allowing himself dreams of Wembley.
A May date at the grand stadium might present the chance for his mum to support her son in person for the first time. ‘In summer it’s possible, right now it’s cold for her,’ he says. ‘I want us to get to the FA Cup final. If we do then I can arrange it.’
Had she got her way all those years ago, however, Ideye would not be a Premier League player. ‘It’s hard growing up in Lagos,’ he says. ‘There is always a story to tell in a city like that. My friends were involved in crazy stuff. They were bad boys of the area. I was picked up once by the police.
‘My mum stopped me going out with them. She was upset. Each time I told her I wanted to play football she would say, “No you’re going to be with your friends”.’
Ideye was sent to live with his aunt but eventually ran away to train with his old coach and finally told his mum he wanted to make a trip to Bayelsa State to play regularly. ‘She didn’t accept. That’s how I left. I went to Bayelsa State then Ocean Boys. Then bam, bam, bam.’
The bams are Neuchatel Xamax in Switzerland, Sochaux in France, and Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine, where he scored 33 goals in 74 games and earned most of his 24 Nigeria caps.
Once he had signed professional forms, Ideye patched up his relationship with his mum. Tears flowed. ‘When I got the contract in Switzerland I went back home, sat with my family and had breakfast, dinner, lunch, everyone happy.
‘Afterwards she called me into her room and said, “I’m sorry about everything, your dad is late and I am the only person who can guide you. I looked at what your friends were doing and believed if I left you that is how you’d become.” I said, “I get that.” She started crying. She could not believe she tried to stop me becoming what she is enjoying today.’