Utaka Targets Goal-King

John Utaka

English Premier League 2008 FA Cup winner John Utaka says he has targeted to finish the 2011/12 French season as the top scorer.

“I have never set target for myself ahead of a league season, I’m doing that now because there are times when you set targets. It guides and encourages you to realize them,” he said in an exclusive interview with DAILY GUIDE SPORTS when he visited the paper’s offices.

Utaka, top scorer of the 2000/1 Egyptian top flight league is confident he has what it takes to replicate the feat he chalked in the Arab league with Ismaily in the French league.

He has returned to the French League 1, after appending his signature to a two-and-half-year contract with Montpellier following stints with clubs like Rennes, Portsmouth and Arab Contractors.

“My return to the French league is like a homecoming; some of the fans have questioned why I have been on the sidelines because my form hasn’t dipped as many have speculated,” Utaka added.

The 29-year-old player, during his stint with Rennes scored two consecutive hat-tricks against Lyon and Lens, and as a result received the L’Equipe player of the month award.

Touching on his £80,000 per week salary saga at Portsmouth, he pointed out: “It was not true that I was the highest paid player and the reason Portsmouth went bankrupt. The highest paid player then was David James, who was taking £60,000.”

Responding to his assessment of the Ayew brothers in the French League, he stated: “They are really doing well. The younger one especially keeps scoring.”

Utaka now runs a foundation, The John Utaka Foundation, which started operation last year alongside his soccer career.

He was a member of the Nigeria national team that participated in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but was an unused substitute in the tourney.

By Kofi Owusu Aduonum