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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall

'Brought the sauce' - Micah Richards & Alan Shearer's verdict on Bolton legend Jay-Jay Okocha

Bolton Wanderers legend Jay-Jay Okocha has been named in a March of the Day list ranking the top 10 African players to have graced the Premier League.

Nigerian Okocha scored 18 goals in 142 games for Bolton in the early to mid-2000s in one of the club's greatest spells under fellow legendary boss Sam Allardyce.

In the latest edition of the Match of the Day Top 10 podcast, Okocha has been named in the list which also includes the likes of Didier Drogba, Mo Salah, Riyad Mahrez and Yaya Toure.

READ MORE: 'Honour' - Dapo Afolayan on Bolton Wanderers legend Jay-Jay Okocha comparison & goals confidence

Alan Shearer places Okocha as 10th on his list with Drogba first, while Micah Richards named Salah as first with the former Wanderers man eighth.

And Newcastle United legend Shearer believes Okocha's goal record is what saw him low down on his list.

But both Shearer and Richards recognised the talent and ability that Okocha brought to the table and his entertaining style of play.

Shearer said: "I think of him and I just think of someone who was happy. At Bolton, the players that they had there, that team was incredible.

"He was unbelivable. He didn't score that many goals though.

"With someone of his ability you'd expect him I think to have got more but in terms of entertainment and all that.

"They did remarkably well to get him there really. PSG I think they got him from, on a free, so great business from Bolton. A very good player."

Richards added: "He brought the sauce to the Premier League, this was real sauce though, the Bolton sauce."

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