Onazi: How former Premier League star Rodallega lured me to Denzilspor

Onazi: How former Premier League star Rodallega lured me to Denzilspor

By Toju Sote

Former Trabzonspor midfielder, Onazi Ogenyi has revealed how Colombian star Hugo Rodallega played a huge role in his transfer to Denizlispor.

In a media chat on Thursday, the former Lazio midfielder said his Trabzonspor teammate was key to his joining the Green and Black team after he struggled with Achilles heel tendon injury at the Burgundy.

Onazi parted ways with Denizlispor last month, and is on the verge of joining Partizan Belgrade this summer.

“The presence of my teammate Hugo Rodallega from Trabzonspor was one of the reasons that led me to come to Denzil. He was an excellent gentleman who made me his big brother.”

Rodallega made an instant impact when he joined Premier League side Wigan Athletic from Mexican club Necaxa in 2009. He moved to Fulham in 2012 before quitting England in 2015.

One of the abiding memories of Onazi’s stay in the city of Denzil would be its metropolitan nature and how it differed from Trabzon.

“The City of Denzil is a little bigger than Trabzon in terms of having more places to go and having more restaurants to eat” he said.

Onazi was an integral part of the Super Eagles which won the 2013 AFCON and also attended the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups but fell out of favour at the 2019 AFCON.