In 2007, Yakubu Aiyegbeni moved to Everton from Middlesbrough for £11.25m – the most expensive player ever signed by the Toffees.
He made an immediate impact in his new found home – scoring 11 minutes into his debut for the club, the first goal in a 2–1 win against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium.
Now 33, the one-time most feared striker in the Premier League is suddenly fighting for his career in the English fifth division.
The Yak as he’s fondly called is the Super Eagles third all-time goalscorer with 21 goals in 57 appearances.
But why the rapid decline when a player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is year older only just made a mega move to Manchester United?
How it started
Yakubu’s goal scoring prowess has never been in doubt – lighting up the Premier League with eye-catching goals. From Portsmouth to Middlesbrough, Everton and much later Blackburn Rovers, the 33-year shone constantly – hitting double figures each season.
The slump
Despite scoring 19 goals for Rovers in the 2011/12 season, the club were relegated to the Championship. Yakubu however moved to Guangzhou R&F in the Chinese League and that was how it started. The season after it was another ill-fated switch to Qatari side, Al Rayyan, before a return to the Championship with Reading.
And now?
Yakubu played last season at Turkish side, Kayserispor, but only started thrice without a single goal. On Saturday, July 9, the striker appeared for English fifth tier side, Boreham Wood, in a friendly against former club, Reading. He played for 60 minutes but was unable to save the side from a 5-0 humiliation at home.
“Realistically I think he has offers and ambitions to play at the highest level available,” Boreham boss, Luke Garrard, said. “I’ll never say never.
“In terms of today it was just nice to get him involved. He is of a certain level and he is a model pro.”
Should the former Maccabi Haifa man join the National League side, it will become his eighth English team in 12 years.
