Feature

Kanu

In 'Defining Moments', former Arsenal stars select the situations that defined their career with the Gunners.

This is a running feature and first appeared in the matchday programme.

Kanu is the latest to recall his favourite memories of his time in Arsenal colours.
 

SUPER SUB V SPURS

When I first came to Arsenal I was mainly used as a substitute and it was my job to make an impact off the bench. Sometimes there’s an advantage to coming off the bench because you’re able to analyse the game first and then when you come on you know where you can hurt the opponent. If you’re not starting a game, the most important thing is to be focused, wait for your time and then do your own thing. I really thrived on that.

Sometimes players are not happy because they’re not playing and when they’re
called upon they don’t do what they’re supposed to do, but I did the opposite. Whenever I was on the pitch I knew what I needed to do and that was to score so we could win. Of course scoring some important goals also meant the fans liked me more and in my first season I scored a lot. From then on, they accepted me as one of their own. My style is very different to other players’ as it’s so laid back, but Arsenal fans accepted that, understood it and loved me for it, and I’m so grateful for their support.

The best example of this was that goal at Tottenham in 1999. Pat Rice had already drilled it into me how important it was to beat Spurs and I was on the bench ready to come on and score. I wanted to make an instant impact and with one movement I was able to flick it over the defender’s head and then smash it into the back of the net. I think that was when I really introduced myself to our fans.
 

THE BACKHEEL

A lot a people have told me I’ve scored some special goals for Arsenal and one of my favourites was the backheel at Middlesbrough towards the end of the 1998/99 season.

Why would I even try it? I’ll let you in on a secret: there are things I did in training that I didn’t manage to bring out into games.

It’s too late now, unfortunately, but I had plenty more tricks in my locker!
Football is all about chances and I like to think I’m someone who epitomises that. I was from very humble beginnings but I got an opportunity to play football professionally and I took it.

I liked this goal against Boro because it shows what happens when you believe in yourself and take the chance. I took the risk and it paid off. We were 5-0 up and that’s the time that you get to try a lot of different things. If you try and fail in those situations, nobody can have a go at you for trying. But if you’re losing,
drawing or the game is quite tight, you definitely have to think twice about doing anything too risky!

I’ve watched it again many times again and I didn’t realise how far out I was. Some players only try that sort of thing next to the goalkeeper or around the six-yard box. I was near the edge of the area, so it definitely took a lot of skill to beat the goalkeeper from there, but it’s a skill I’ve been practising since I was playing football as a youngster in Nigeria.

 

April 24, 1999: Kanu celebrates his goal against Middlesbrough

April 24


 

 

CHELSEA 2-3 KANU

I remember this game like it was yesterday. We were losing 2-0 at the time and I scored twice to bring it back to 2-2. I remember there were only a few minutes left. I got the ball on the left and then dribbled past the goalkeeper. From that point there was only one thing on my mind.

I just made sure I hit the target because I knew it would go in. Even if I missed the chance, it would have been 2-2, which is not bad given that we were behind. To be a good player, you always have to feel as though you can do it, and then I did. You have to have that belief. Even when we were 2-0 down, we knew we had to quality to come back.

Then, when it was 2-2, we knew there was a chance of scoring a third, and after I’d already scored twice I felt like I could have scored four that game! Unfortunately it was only three on that occasion but that was enough to win the game. Lots of people always try to compare that third goal to my goal at Spurs and fans always ask me which one I think is better. My honest answer is that I can’t choose between them.

As an Arsenal player, there’s no greater feeling than scoring against Tottenham, but to be able to score a goal from another planet like that third one against Chelsea was incredible. I’m happy to have been able to score both.
 

KANU THE INVINCIBLE

I was extremely fortunate to have made history on several occasions during my time at Arsenal, but I can’t see this record being broken any time soon! It was incredible to be a part of the Invincibles’ run. People will always remember it and that’s an incredible feeling to have as a footballer, especially given how short our careers can turn out to be. It’s nice to know you have made your mark.

Records are there to be broken so I’m sure that one day it will happen again – I just can’t see it happening for some time yet. Everything has to fall into place at the right time. During that period every player was fighting for each other and nobody had a bad game. It gave the boss a tough decision to make every week in terms of selection but I couldn’t complain with Dennis and Thierry ahead of me! I was just proud to have been involved in the squad.

Playing with those two helped me become an even better player. You tend to struggle a little bit when you play with average players, but at a big club like Arsenal with big players, it’s the best situation for you. The Iceman is somebody I always liked to learn from because he always scored great goals and that was something I always wanted to be able to do too.

We had a squad full of players who believed in themselves and we felt we were going to win every game before we’d even walked out onto the pitch. There was such a strong spirit in the team that meant nobody wanted to lose, even in training. We would take that into the game, and when we played that way we would always come out on top.

 

January 7, 2004: Kanu scores against Everton at Goodison Park

January 7

 

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