Nigerian legend Jay Jay Okocha reminisces about his glory days with Fenerbahce and explains how he acquired Turkish citizenship and the unusually chosen name Muhammed Yavuz while he was a player for the team in the past.
When lauding a member of Fenerbahce’s coaching staff as the source of his new Turkish name, Okocha said this.
Between 1996 and 1998, the ex-Paris Saint-Germain midfielder played for Fenerbahce for two seasons after moving to Turkey from Frankfurt in a €1 million deal.
Okocha stated, “I spent two years in Turkey and it was a really nice period for me, in an interview with Hurriyet. People adored me a lot. Our audience was fantastic.
Regarding this kind of offer, I automatically obtained Turkish citizenship. Although I didn’t want to convert to another faith, I chose this name because I was aware of Muslims’ enthusiasm for the name Muhammad.
I accepted this name since it is incredibly spiritual and significant to Muslims, he continued. Yavuz was the facility manager here. He was incredibly understanding, and he made us laugh a lot.I told him my lineage is Yavuz and asked him. So, I went by the name Muhammed Yavuz.
Okocha played for Bolton during his professional career before moving on to PSG from Fenerbahce.
