Julius OkorieSuper Eagles and Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, is no doubt a believer in the injunction never to forget days of humble beginning.
The former Genk star brought this to the fore, after he decided to show appreciation to his former grassroot coach, Nduka Ugbade, gifting the former U-17 and U-20 coach a new Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) in recognition of his role in shaping his football career.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe emotional moment was captured on video, showing the 28-year-old Leicester City star embracing a visibly moved Ugbade before presenting him with the car.
The surprise gift, according to Ndidi who has become a must play for the Foxes, was his way of saying “thank you” to a man he regards as a foundational influence on his football journey.
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“This is the least I can do,” Ndidi said. “Coach Nduka believed in me when I was just a boy with a dream. He taught me discipline and hard work and gave me the confidence to believe in my talent.”
Coach Nduka Ugbade, now 55, is a legendary figure in Nigerian football. A member of the iconic Golden Eaglets team that won the inaugural FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1985, Ugbade has served Nigerian football at virtually every level—first as a player, then as a coach.
He featured in all categories of the national team setup, playing six matches each for the U-17 and U-20 teams, before earning five senior caps for the Super Eagles.
After retiring from professional football in 2003, Ugbade took up coaching, guiding several domestic teams and returning to the national fold as head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 team during the 2023 AFCON U-17 tournament in Algeria.
Despite a quarter-final exit at the hands of Burkina Faso, Ugbade’s contribution to youth development in Nigerian football remains undeniable—and Ndidi’s gesture is a testament to that legacy.
Ndidi, whose club Leicester City suffered relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2024-2025 season, has remained one of Nigeria’s most consistent football exports.
Since joining the Foxes from Belgian side Genk in 2017, he has made 303 appearances, netting 18 goals and delivering 22 assists.
In the most recent season, he featured 30 times for Leicester, scoring once in the League Cup and registering five assists in the Premier League.
Amidst rumours of Ndidi leaving Leicester as a free agent, he rather on 12 July 2024 signed a new three-year contract extension with the club, running until June 2027.
Ndidi is among several players now considering his future following the relegation. It was recently reported that Marseille and Everton had shown interest in having the Nigerian international in their fold.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
