Alex Iwobi's dad believes signing a new contract has boosted his son's confidence

He has been here all through, seeing his son grow from a teenager to a Premier League star at Arsenal. His number one fan, coach and critic.

“We have this relationship, it started from when Alex was young, the first time he kicked the ball,” Alex Iwobi’s dad, Chuba told while he watched his son train with the Super Eagles at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

“And that’s why I follow him around and that’s why most of the time in the stadium when he does a good thing, he looks up in the crowd and knows the dad and mum are there.

“Even when things are not going on well, he knows there is somebody in the crowd who believes in him. And somebody who is ready to support him when he does well or does not do well.”

In recent weeks, Chuba has seen first-hand his son some of his best football for Arsenal and the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

Alex Iwobi

There has been an obvious upswing for the 22-year-old who many believe is now the most improved player at Arsenal who are experiencing a lift under new boss Unai Emery.

On Monday night, he was named undefined at the Emirates.

Iwobi’s recent form has had Arsenal fans purring over him and they believe his new-found confidence is behind his recent brilliance. Iwobi senior agrees.

“Yes I can say to an extent, confidence is part of development for any player and probably that would have played a part in Alex’s recent form,” Iwobi senior said.

“Again the fans are happy, there is a certain lift at the Emirates and it translates to all the players. So as a team in itself, not just Alex,  it has been a marked improvement. They have gone on an unbeaten nine (now 10) winning match streak.”

“There has been a lot of factors,” he continued.

“Alex has been with Arsenal since he was six, Arsene Wenger is very close to the family and he gave Alex his first opportunity.

“Going forward, Wenger left Arsenal after 22 years, after a remarkable input in Arsenal, he is gone and like all the players it was like a new beginning.

“And what tends to happen when a new coach comes in is that people work harder to become relevant because obviously if you don’t work hard you are left out and the boss leaves you.

“So Alex like all the players have worked hard, under a new manager with different formations.”

Strong return

It’s a strong return for Iwobi who was one of the most criticised players at Arsenal last season. After becoming stagnant in Arsene Wenger’s last years at Arsenal, there was a huge call for the Nigerian to be sold. But Emery came in during the summer, assured of him his place in the team and gave him a new contract.

Iwobi senior also believes that the new contract has gone a long way in boosting the confidence of his superstar son.

“It is quite reassuring for any player to know that you are wanted, being an extension because that means obviously that you are part of the plans,” Iwobi senior said.

“I think what also has helped Alex is the different formations. Now we are playing with wingers, sometimes they play with inverted wingers and Alex is somebody who takes in information.

“He is always ready to work hard, always ready to listen and always ready to learn. I think it a combination of factors. Getting a new contract is also good because it shows you are actually wanted and part of the plans.”

Early life

Iwobi senior has been the overseer of Iwobi’s career since he started playing football as a child. But while he regularly took Iwobi to the park to play football and got him into a Sunday League team called Rippleway at the age of six, he never thought his son would become a professional footballer.

“When Alex started playing football, there was no plan, we didn’t set out to make Alex a professional footballer,” he told Pulse Sports.

“And to me, it is still something I look at with a lot of love and affection that it has come to that

“From day one, we didn't set out for Alex to be a footballer, but again we supported him along the journey and for him to come to this level and not just for Arsenal but for the Super Eagles, it is a dream come true and it is something I feel I wake up in the morning and I feel it’s a dream.

“There is a lot of pride, there is a lot of joy, there is a lot of rewards but there is still a lot of hard work because in the life of every footballer there are ups and downs.

“But the good thing is only to be steadfast and believe like every other parent to be supportive and be there to listen to him when he wants me.”

For a footballer playing at a very high level, Iwobi gets overwhelmed with feedbacks of his performances. From coaches, fans and critics. For Iwobi senior, he does it in a different way.

“What I don’t do is to coach because already he gets a lot of that from Arsenal,” Iwobi senior said.

“But I’m his biggest fan and biggest critic because I watch virtually every game.

“My role as a parent and my kind of parenting is to always commend the good things he has done and if there is another thing I want to talk about also bring it on because it is my duty as a parent to be truthful to him.

“How far he has gone you have people who are there to always tell him to hear. That’s not my role, my role is to tell him what he wants to hear and what he does not want to hear.

“But Alex is 22-years old now, he’s a man so I got to show him that respect and love and I’m also very guarded in telling him what I think because at the end of the day it ties with my opinion.

“But we have this relationship, it started from when Alex was young.”

Naija boy

Despite growing up in England and playing in the English youth system, Iwobi keeps up with the jocular persona of the average Nigerian. He listens to Nigerian music, connect socially with Nigerians, is in tune with Nigerian pop culture and enjoys local dishes.

Iwobi senior gave an insight into how the boy was raised in London.

“My wife is Jay Jay (Austin Okocha)’s sister is from Ogwashi Uku, so between the two of us, we speak Ibo in the house,” he said.

“I’m very comfortable speaking Ibo same as her. Unfortunately, Alex doesn’t speak very good Ibo but he has now picked up Pidgin English which I think is as important, probably more important than Ibo because pidgin is more like the universal language, it’s the language spoken in camp with the players. Anything spoken in Pidgin English he understands.

“Our household is pretty Ibo, we eat Nigerian food and luckily Alex has taken to Nigerian food and that's what he likes doing.

“Alex is so big on Nigerian music, he has met a lot of the Nigerian artistes. He has met Wizkid, who is a remarkable artiste alongside the likes of Davido.

“That is the kind of music he plays in the car, Alex plays nothing but Afrobeat.  That is the genre he is very comfortable with.

“He’s quite a good dancer, I think you might have seen him do his Shaku Shaku, and that is what Alex is. His personality is Nigerian. African and there is a lot of love for him and from him at the Super Eagles camp.”

With the African Cup of Nations around the corner, the Nigerian squad has its sights set on conquering the continent for the fourth time. A new generation of talented players such as Iwobi would lead the charge to make that mission possible.