Premier League giants Spurs and Arsenal made attempts to sign Vincent Enyeama, who instead became a Ligue 1 hero with LOSC Lille.
Legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has admitted that he turned down a move to Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal when at the peak of his shot-stopping powers, speaking to ESPN.
The 37-year-old might not have the CV or the medal haul his ability perhaps deserved, but a man with 101 international caps under his belt is hardly twiddling at thumbs and wondering what might have been.
A prospective move to Arsenal in the summer of 2014 would perhaps have given Enyeama the platform he needed to establish himself as one of the most impressive goalkeepers on the planet.
But a man who was starring week in, week out between the sticks at Lille had no interest in sitting on the bench at the Emirates and suffering the sort of fate that would instead befall David Ospina, the man Arsenal turned to once Enyeama had rejected their advances.
“Arsenal wanted me for second choice, but I was not interested. When I turned them down, that is when they [Arsenal] took David Ospina,” says the 2013 African Cup of Nations winner, who also turned down an offer from Tottenham.
“For me, I was at the stage where I preferred playing even if it was for one of the smallest teams. That is what the agents that were involved told me. That Arsene (Wenger) wanted me but he is not so sure because of my height and things like that.
“I also had an offer from Tottenham, who wanted me for second choice also and I wasn’t interested. People have their choices and I respect their choices.”
Barring some kind of bizarre tactical innovation that even Zdenek Zeman would consider a little too outlandish, there will forever be space for just one goalkeeper on the team sheet.
So you can hardly blame Enyeama for staying at a club where he could strut his stuff on a weekly basis, even if that meant he sacrificed the chance to play for one of Europe’s bonafide giants.
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