“Their captain got sent off, and we lost 1-0. I remember thinking, wow, I can’t wait for Saturday!”

Reuben

Agboola!After They Were Footballers...

Agboola Discusses Heathrow, Visas and

Not Needing Shinpads...

P L A Y E R F A C T F I L E

By

Jamie McLeanWhen you meet someone like Reuben Agboola, you do not only meet a former professional footballer - you meet a man. But who, really, is this man? Many people may have seen him playing football on a Saturday afternoon in the late 80’s and early 90’s, but what is he truly like?

“We were told we wouldn’t be need-

ing shin pads. I got a massive gash down the front of my leg.”

- Reuben on his Nigeria debut

I sit alone in a quiet corner of the pub, pondering these very questions,- as a guy at the opposite end of the room asks his wife if she wants one more for the road.Other than that I am kept company solely by my own thoughts.

My nerves are on edge, as I keep replay-ing a question that was asked of me earlier in the afternoon - “what on earth are you going to say?”I know that, in this tranquil room, and in just a few moments time, one of my own defensive idols as a child is about to walk through the door, and still that question haunts my thoughts - what on earth are you going to say?

“As it turns out though, the locals

were better than the team we ended up playing that week-

end - we won that one 5-0!”

- Reuben on his first game in the green of Nigeria

Then it happens - the man himself walks in, strides straight over to my table and with a big smile and friendly eyes shakes my hand, and humbly introduces himself.As if Reuben Agboola really needs to introduce himself! He played over 250 first-class games in his career, is a cult hero at both Southampton and Sunder-land - where his official debut was cut short at half time due to match abandon-ment,While at the former he helped his side to the runners-up spot in the 1983-84 Divi-sion 1 - Saints’ highest ever final league position.He also featured nine times for Nigeria, including seven appearances in the 1992 African Cup of Nations, where his country finished 3rd. But his native country almost remained Agboola-less permanently following some trouble getting into the country before his first cap.“I didn’t even have a Visa, because things were rushed so much,” recalls the 47-year-old.

“We were at the check-in queue at Hea-throw, and they wouldn’t even give me a boarding card because I didn’t have a visa.“I was with a friend from the Nigerian FA - he was about 7ft, and dripping in Armani!“He basically asked for the names of the staff at the check-in, because he wouldn’t take the rap if one of the president’s Super Eagles players wasn’t allowed into the country.

“We were at the check-in queue at

Heathrow, and they wouldn’t even give me a boarding card

because I didn’t have a visa!”

- Reuben on his time at Heathrow “We managed to get our boarding cards in the end!”However, this wasn’t quite the end of the fun and games for the soon-to-be Interna-tional footballer.Having made it out of England, Agboola was met with another obstacle in Nigeria.“At the Nigerian airport they were all looking through my English passport to try and find my visa!”The rest, as they say, is history, and Agboola made it to the squad in good

time - almost.“I didn’t realise until later the rest of the guys had been waiting for my arrival so we could go and play a practice match.”That “practice” match was against the local Lagos team at the national stadium, just two days before a competitive first team international. “We were told we wouldn’t be needing shin pads. I got a massive gash down the front of my leg when one of their players came in with a tackle from the top.“Their captain got sent off, and we lost 1-0. I remember thinking, wow, I can’t wait for Saturday!

“Everything is com-puterized these days, which is meant to be idiot-proof, but it is really not - my boss

manages to get it wrong all the time!

- Reuben on getting away with it at work!

“As it turns out though, the locals were better than the team we ended up playing that weekend - we won that one 5-0!”Agboola, who did some coaching

throughout his later career, retired from professional football following a brief spell with Swansea in 1992, though he did later turn out for Woking.He became landlord of the “Sporting View” bar at the Southampton Sports Center, before relocating to Majorca, running a bar for a year.He later returned to the south coast, where he currently works for a car com-pany in Southampton.“I evaluate whatever turns up, and get to rip it to bits. The log books are the worst part - we can’t sell the cars without them.

“Everything is computerized these days, which is meant to be idiot-proof, but it is really not - my boss manages to get it wrong all the time.“It’s OK though, because it means I can get away with blaming him for just about anything!”When he is not at work, Reuben is a keen golfer - as evidenced by the clubs present behind his desk.“I never go too far without my clubs, just in case I need to make a quick getaway!” he laughs.

Agboola was a cult hero in his days at Sunderland

Agboola (far right) at Wembley before the 1985 Milk Cup Final, with Barry Venison (far left) and Nick Pickering (center).

Sunderland lost 1-0 to Norwich City, with Agboola not featuring in the final squad of 12 - because he was cup-tied.Reuben now works for a car company in Southampton

P L A Y E R F A C T F I L E Name: Reuben Agboola

Age: 47

Southampton: 90(0) Sunderland: 170(0) Swansea: 28(0)

Nigeria: 9(0)

ATWF