Former Super Eagles’ skipper, Austin Okocha has advised his nephew, Alex Iwobi not to think of departing Arsenal on loan next season but should stay and fight for a first team shirt.
Iwobi’s playing opportunities has been sparse in the last five games contested by the Gunners in the Premier League, with only 25 minutes of game time under his belt from a possible 450.
To help Iwobi maintain his match fitness, he was a surprise inclusion in the Arsenal U23 team that beat Reading 5-2 in Premier League 2 on April 10, fueling speculation that he has been demoted to the reserves.
”We can’t forget that this is his first full season in the first team and Arsenal have all their players back now. There’s a lot of competition, so it’s not easy,” Okocha told Sky Sports.
“I think it’s better for him to stay at Arsenal, because the style of play suits him perfectly. It might not be easy for him to go on loan and adapt somewhere else. He needs to stay and fight for his shirt.”
Meanwhile, Okocha will be one of a host of former Premier League stars that will compete at Star Sixes, an indoor six-a-side tournament in July 2017.
Other former EPL players expected to participate include Steven Gerrard, Carles Puyol, Michael Ballack, Deco and Robert Pires.
Speaking about the event, Okocha said: “I’m very excited for it. I think I will be in my comfort zone.
“Everybody is looking forward to showing that we can still play a little bit. There are a lot of good players and it will be interesting.
“It’s all about meeting old colleagues, having fun and competing again without too much pressure. It’s going to be fun.”
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