This article delves into the illustrious Premier League career of Yakubu Aiyegbeni, a celebrated striker known for his goalscoring feats at Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton and Blackburn Rovers. Experience the nostalgia with mock Ceefax/Teletext graphics as we explore the journey of a player who inspired chants of “Feed The Yak and he will score!”.
You can also watch a video version of the article below.
Yakubu joins Portsmouth on loan
Yakubu joined First Division league leaders Portsmouth on loan from Maccabi Haifa in January 2003. The Nigerian, aged 20 at the time, caught the eye after scoring a hat-trick against Olympiakos in the Champions League. Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie welcomed the new signing by predicting he would be a “real jewel in the crown” for Harry Redknapp’s side.
Yakubu joins Portsmouth permanently
Storrie was right to expect big things from Yakubu, as the striker scored seven goals in 13 games to help Portsmouth win the First Division. The Premier League new boys wasted no time in signing Yakubu on a permanent deal after his successful loan spell. “Yakubu wants to stay with Portsmouth,” agent Barry Silkman said. “He does not want to start afresh somewhere else and he loves it there.”
Sir Alex Ferguson recommends Yakubu
Yakubu scored his first Premier League goal in Portsmouth’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City in August 2003. After the game, Redknapp said Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson advised him to sign the talented forward. “If I was you I‘d get in your car and get him right away,” Ferguson told Redknapp. ”We’ve watched him three times and he’s been electric.”
Portsmouth survive
By the end of the 2003-2004 season, Yakubu proved why he was one of the most exciting prospects in English football. Portsmouth secured safety in their first Premier League season after Yakubu scored seven goals in eight games between March and May. The best was yet to come, though, as Pompey’s star man produced a final-day performance that would live long in the memory.
Portsmouth 5-1 Middlesbrough
With four minutes on the clock, Yakubu put Portsmouth 1-0 up against Steve McClaren’s Middlesbrough at Fratton Park. He scored again from the penalty spot 10 minutes later before Bolo Zenden pulled one back for Middlesbrough. In the 31st minute, Yakubu netted his third goal of the game to complete a first-half hat-trick. Veteran forward Teddy Sheringham added another late on before man-of-the-moment Yakubu scored his fourth goal to round off a stunning 5-1 win. “Feed The Yak and he will score,” sang the Portsmouth fans, and they weren’t wrong.
Harry Redknapp’s bet with Yakubu
Yakubu finished the 2003-04 season with 19 goals in all competitions, including 16 in the Premier League. Redknapp revealed after the four-goal display against Middlesbrough that he promised his striker £20,000 if he scored 20 goals during the campaign. As Yakubu missed the tally by one goal, he sadly missed out on the windfall.
Transfer gossip
Yakubu scored another hat-trick in Portsmouth’s 4-3 win over Fulham in August 2004, prompting speculation about interest from other clubs. Velimir Zajec, Redknapp’s replacement as Portsmouth manager, admitted the striker could leave Fratton Park for the right price. “He is a big investment for this club and is very important,” Zajec said. “But if the price is good for the club, the club must come first.”
Yakubu joins Middlesbrough
Yakubu ended the 2004-05 season with 13 Premier League goals to help Portsmouth maintain their top-flight status. After two and a half goal-filled years, Pompey allowed their prolific attacker to join Middlesbrough in the summer of 2005 for a reported £6.5 million. “He is young, he is a goalscorer, he is the next generation,” said Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb.
Fan favourite
Yakubu quickly became a fan favourite at the Riverside, scoring 13 Premier League goals in the 2005-06 season. Steve McClaren led his side to thumping home wins over Manchester United and Chelsea, with Yakubu getting on the scoresheet in both games. He also netted a crucial penalty against Roma in the UEFA Cup round-of-16 stage as Middlesbrough defied the odds to remarkably reach a European final.
Middlesbrough 0-4 Sevilla
The UEFA Cup final came at a bad time for Yakubu, who failed to score in 15 games before the showdown with Sevilla in Eindhoven. McClaren threw his striker on as a 70th-minute substitute, but he was unable to claw Middlesbrough back into the game. Sevilla ran out 4-0 winners, with Enzo Maresca scoring two goals.
Wanted man
The following season, Yakubu scored another 12 Premier League goals as Middlesbrough finished 12th under new manager Gareth Southgate. Yakubu’s most important goal in the 2006-07 season came when he scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Newcastle in the Tyne-Tees derby. Once again, the forward soon found himself at the centre of transfer speculation, as Birmingham, Everton and former club Portsmouth emerged as potential suitors.
Yakubu joins Everton
In the end, Everton won the race for Yakubu and signed the striker for a reported £11.25 million in August 2007. Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate justified the sale by claiming Yakubu was “struggling emotionally” amid links with other teams. “When a player is unsettled to that point, it’s time to get the best possible deal for the club,” Southgate said at a BBC Tees fans’ forum.
Yakubu responds to Steve Gibson
Shortly after his Riverside exit, Yakubu hit back at Steve Gibson after the Middlesbrough owner questioned his concentration levels. The striker failed to score in his last 16 Middlesbrough games in 2005-06 and in his last 12 games in 2006-07, prompting Gibson to say he “switched off”. In an interview with The Guardian, Yakubu called Gibson’s comments “ridiculous” and said he was glad to join a club with more ambition.
Merseyside hero
With a new set of fans to win over, it did not take long for Yakubu to endear himself to the Goodison Park faithful. He bagged two goals in Everton’s 7-1 victory against Sunderland before scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Fulham. Everton finished the 2007-08 season in fifth place, while Middlesbrough ended the campaign in 13th.
Injury setback
After a promising first season at Everton, Yakubu suffered a setback in November 2008 when he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a 1-0 win over Tottenham. He spent the next nine months on the sidelines, meaning he missed Everton’s 2009 FA Cup final defeat against Chelsea. “I watched a lot of DVDs to keep my spirits up,” Yakubu told the Mail on Sunday. “I watched Nigerian movies but also Will Smith movies, particularly Hancock. That was my favourite.”
Yakubu joins Leicester
With competition for places tough, Yakubu only scored five Premier League goals for Everton in 2009-10 before appearing in his first World Cup with Nigeria. Midway through the 2010-11 campaign, he regained form after dropping down a division to join Leicester City in the Championship on loan. Yakubu scored 11 goals in 20 games for Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side, including a hat-trick against former club Middlesbrough.
Yakubu joins Blackburn
At the start of the 2011-12 season, Everton manager David Moyes allowed Yakubu to join Premier League rivals Blackburn Rovers on a permanent deal. He scored twice on his debut in a 4-3 win over Arsenal, but a run of bad form left Steve Kean’s Blackburn in relegation trouble. “Steve Kean and the owners are big influences on me,” Yakubu told the BBC. “Without them, I wouldn’t have come here.”
Prolific season
Yakubu went on to have one of the best seasons of his career, scoring 17 of Blackburn’s 48 Premier League goals. He even scored four times in a 4-2 victory against Swansea City in December 2011. Steve Kean’s men finished 2011-12 in 19th place, and Yakubu departed relegated Rovers after just one season.
Yakubu retires
A two-season spell at Chinese club Guangzhou City came next, followed by short stints at Al-Rayyan, Reading, Kayserispor and Coventry City. After 95 Premier League goals and 58 international caps for Nigeria, Yakubu announced his retirement from football in November 2017 at the age of 35. “I feel the time is right for me to now focus on the next chapter in my life,” he told Sky Sports.
Summary
Yakubu’s pace, power and lethal finishing ability made him one of the Premier League’s most popular strikers. Beloved by his own club’s fans and neutrals alike, one can sum up Yakubu’s 228-goal career by simply saying this: “Feed The Yak, Feed The Yak, Feed The Yak and he will score. Feed The Yak and he will score!”
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