Nigeria – My Wife Packed My Bags For China After Seeing My Salary,” Says Former Super Eagles Star Brown Ideye

By Onoja Baba, Abuja, Nigeria

Former Super Eagles forward, Brown Ideye, has shared a lighthearted, yet telling story on Wednesday, about how his unexpected move to the Chinese Super League’s Tianjin TEDA unfolded.

The 36-year-old striker, who won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, revealed that his wife played a pivotal role in his decision to accept the lucrative offer from the Chinese club.

In a candid post on his X.com account on Wednesday, Ideye recalled the moment he saw the staggering numbers on his contract from Tianjin TEDA.

Despite having no initial intention of playing in China, the financial incentives were too tempting to ignore. “I had no plans to go to China. Olympiacos received an offer from TEDA which they couldn’t refuse. My agent negotiated my salary and bonuses.

“When I saw the long numbers and told my wife, na she packed my luggage for me to leave the next day LOL,” Ideye wrote.

While the financial benefits were clear, Ideye’s journey in China was far from smooth.

In a 2019 interview with the PUNCH, he admitted that he faced significant challenges during his stint at Tianjin TEDA, including being demoted to train with the youth team under contentious circumstances.

He said: “I don’t pray for any footballer to go through all that I experienced this past year in China, it wasn’t easy, but I had to keep my body in good shape and stay strong mentally.”

Ideye’s career has been marked by ups and downs, with his time in China and at West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League being particularly challenging.

After making a name for himself at Dynamo Kyiv, where he scored 45 goals in 106 games, Ideye moved to West Brom for a then club-record fee of £10 million in 2014. However, injuries and difficulties adapting to new environments saw his performances dip, both in England and later in China.

Reflecting on his struggles, Ideye pointed to cultural barriers and constant team reshuffling in China as factors that hampered his ability to perform at his best.

He said: “It took me time to really adjust to the Chinese league, and with all the expectations from the fans and the team, it was tough.

“The management felt I wasn’t good enough or that I couldn’t meet the expectations placed on me, and they ended up signing a new player in my position and asked me to go on loan.”

Ideye’s reflections on his Chinese adventure come at a time when speculation surrounds the future of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, with big money moves to other leagues being discussed.