Inside Kanu's heart

Nwankwo Kanu has won the U-17 World Cup, Olympic Soccer Gold with Nigeria, and also boasts of an enviable success with the European clubs he has played for-European cup, World Club Cup, European Super Cup, Dutch league titles with Ajax of Amsterdam.

Uefa cup title with Inter Milan of Italy also adds to his remarkable achievements with London side, Arsenal FC but this lanky forward is insatiable.

Nigeriasports.com asked the Arsenal player what is left to be won and he opened up like he has never done before.

Nigeriasports.com: people know so much about Kanu Nwankwo and describe you in many glowing words but in your own perspective, who exactly is Kanu Nwankwo?

Kanu: laughing…Kanu Nwankwo I don’t know how to put it, but first of all I have to thank God for everything because without my lord I can’t be wherever I am and people will never get to know me.

Coming back to your question, I think there are many faces to Kanu and if we try to talk about it we will end up spending days but I think Kanu is just a simple guy, an honest guy who is trying to survive in this world.

Nigeriasports.com: there is a heart inside you that spurred a huge foundation, what does it mean to you?

Kanu: it means a lot to me, it means more than anything that I am going to achieve in life because it is all about life. I remember the very first time I brought the first kids to England nobody believes they were going to survive and their families were crying and after the operation, they came to me and start thanking me and I said to them not to thank me but God.

I am not God and the doctor, I am only assisting and God heals. I think as an adult who has gone through that, you wonder what the kids will feel when they go through such trauma.

So I resolved to saying that, we have names, we have fame, we have money though not that big but at least better than some people and I decided to help and I think that is a pay back to what the lord has done for me. The foundation is just a way to help the less privileged ones.

Nigeriasports.com: Doing this, one expects you to get a better treatment from the press and people in life but instead you still go through the terrible war with the press, do you think you are getting a better reward?

Kanu: No, it’s like whatever you give to people you wait on God to reward you and not people because they are not God. I don’t wait on people at all; God uses different way to reward you. The criticism doesn’t get at me, when they write things I do not feel any pressure.

Anytime you see me am happy, smiling and being myself because I know who I am.

The most important thing is to believe in yourself and know who you are, if you believe in yourself, people will believe you and love you. Always be positive that is the world we are, even our lord Jesus Christ was criticised. It’s a life full of confrontation, hatred, jealousy and criticism but still you have to strive to survive. It happens mostly in Africa where you see people with negative vibes, and they want to pull people down, so if listen to them they will bring you down but to me they are not God and cannot pull me down.

Nigeriasports.com: Deep down inside, would you say you are unlucky to have played 14-nations cup games without a goal?

Kanu: The truth is that, every time I put on the colours of Nigeria I play with dedication and determination to do well. The fact that the goals refuse to come does not me am incapable of scoring because everyone loves to score. I feel people react negatively to this, leaving me to wonder what else they expect of me.

I think my contribution to the team in terms of assist brings me joy that at least am achieving parts of my dreams and it may not get the attention of the critics but am grateful that few people recognise that in my games for both my country and my club.

Goals come around when they must and I think there’s always a time for everything in life.

Nigeriasports.com: After football what do you want to be remembered for?

Kanu: Football is what people know me for and after it I will want people to say…Kanu Nwankwo one of the best players in the world and I will be very happy if people can remember me that way. Whenever they remember that name they will look back and say, he has done this and that, he’s been there and done that and he’s one of the best players in the world…but importantly I want people to remember me for the foundation I am doing because it is the biggest one, for the kids, family and everyone I have touched through this project.

I can’t wait to realise the dream of building a hospital and helping more kids, and they will survive and do what they want to do. If I can achieve that, then I have achieved everything in life.

Nigeriasports.com: what is your motto in life?

Kanu: laughing, there are so many faces to life and to me I think life is too deep I can say what is inside it. In everything in life there is more to hat you do. The way you pave your way is how it will be.

You see that is why we try and work hard, be honest and keep our hands clean so that when you die, people will still have good things to talk about you.

I want to be remembered as a player with good heart, one that strives hard to put smiles into the face of people deprived of such feelings.