Uncle and Nephew’ Alex Iwobi Is Related To Jay Jay Okocha

Alex Iwobi, aged 26, is a nephew of the former Nigerian footballer Jay Jay Okocha. They have a close relationship, and he is a mentor to Iwobi.

Everton winger has made it clear that he is blood-related with Jay Jay. The former iconic Super Eagles attacking midfielder, who has played for various big teams like Paris Saint Germain, Bolton, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hull City, etc., is Iwobi’s maternal uncle. 

The Nigerian international gushed over his uncle, calling him a legend in the family, and said he stays in touch with him often. The former PSG, Fenerbahce, and Bolton Wanderers player has also played for Qatar FC and Borussia Neunkirchen.

“It’s actually very true, that’s my mom’s younger brother; that’s why I got the surname Okocha because he’s related to my mom; we are all related.”, Iwobi replied to a question asked during an interview if he is related to Jay Jay.

Iwobi frequently acknowledges that Okocha played a significant part in his football career and that he carries the burden of expectation to surpass Okocha’s accomplishments with the Nigerian Super Eagles.

Midfielder for the Super Eagles Alex Iwobi spoke on the impact of having Jay Jay Okocha, a legendary member of the Nigerian national team, as his uncle in his professional life. Since the former Bolton player is the maternal uncle of the current Everton midfielder, the bond between Iwobi and Okocha has drawn a lot of attention.

He also revealed that Okocha had been involved in his professional life and decision-making more than ever on and off the field as Jay Jay prepares Iwobi to be the best for what he does. And this season, his performance under Frank Lampard has significantly increased, giving him the Premier League Player of the month nomination.

Alex Iwobi frequently mentioned his maternal uncle Jay Jay Okocha in press interviews.

He said Jay Jay was his “role model” growing up as a young player at Arsenal, and he still is. “I want to be as great as Okocha”, the Everton winger speaks highly of his uncle, who had an impressive playing career.

Regarding comparisons to Okocha, Iwobi said that he is trying to live up to the high bar his uncle set for himself during his career. The Nigerian midfielder also acknowledged that Okocha is his guiding light.

Moreover, Jay Jay’s effort and time dedicated to his nephew Iwobi’s career has not gone unnoticed. All he wanted was for Iwboi to succeed in every step of his professional life and push up his standard. Okocha is highly optimistic about Frank Lampard caching Everton and believes Iwobi can be an excellent asset for the team under him.

The 49-year-old former PSG star is more involved now than ever in transforming his nephew from a good player to a better player. Jay Jay gives him tips and advice to be more humble and patient during the game because he knows chances will come to Iwobi, and when it comes, he has to make it count.

Okocha often can be seen in the audience stands for Iwobi’s game cheering him up. More recently, he was spotted during an Everton game vs Man United on October 9, 2022. Iwobi scored an opener in the fifth minute and had an overall good game despite his team losing 2-1 for Anthony’s goal and Ronaldo’s milestone 700th club goal.

Alex Iwobi was named Alexander Chuka Iwobi by his parents. His family consists of his mom, dad, and sister.

The family relocated to Turkey when Iwobi was just two years old. Born on May 3, 1996, Alexander Chuka is a native of Lagos, Nigeria. His father, Chuba Iwobi, was a lawyer and a former football player who played amateur football during his youth.

Besides, not much can be said about his mother as no details are available about her. However, it is evident that Mrs Iwobi has played her part in shaping Alex’s football career. 

His parents, who are still close to him, have instilled in him a respect for his ancestry. Even though he no longer lives with them, his parents still assist him in investing his football salary. They have a straightforward and modest lifestyle while being in a comfortable financial position.

The Everton winger sent a birthday message to his beloved mother in 2021 as she turned another year older on his social media. He tweeted, “Happy birthday to my mom”, with three beautiful pictures of him with his mother and family.

Iwobi previously conceded in an interview that one of his challenges in becoming a football great was that he wasn’t good enough, but that his mother and sister were crucial in helping him improve. “My mum made me do kick-ups in the living room. My sister even tried to play football. Everyone was trying to help me.”

He is very close with his sister Marie and often makes a visit to her at her university. Though they are far away from each other, they both manage time off from their busy lives to make a trip to meet. 

When he was two years old, Iwobi and his family moved to Turkey. To be with Jay Jay Okocha, they relocated to England two years later. Near Bolton Wanders, where he attended school, Iwobi was raised in an east London neighbourhood.

Tyrell Robinson, with whom he began playing football in the area around his house, became a close buddy of his. Both youngsters eventually became successful football players. Tyrell grew up playing for Bradford City, while Iwobi represented Arsenal. As each of their professions developed, they stayed in touch.

For the time being, the 26-year-old talented midfielder Iwobi is single and does not have a girlfriend. Neither is he married. 

He seems to leave all the relationship side effects on the sideline and is more focused on his career now. However, paddling back to his past, Iwobi was in a committed relationship with a British model Clarisse Juliette.

The pair were together for four years until their loveship hit an iceberg and drowned. To express her love for Alex, the UK-based model frequently pours over him and promotes his images on social media.

When he turned 21, things didn’t turn out so smoothly. Social media frequently featured photos of them together. But in 2017, the pair split up because his girlfriend thought he had been unfaithful. Both of them removed pictures of each other from their social media profiles. They no longer follow one another on Instagram. 

Fans became aware of this when Juliette did not wish Alex a happy birthday on his 21st birthday. She was also conspicuously absent from Alex’s parent’s London home for his birthday party.

Even when Clarisse celebrates her birthday, which is often on May 2nd, Alex is prone to mentioning her. Nothing took place at that time. Juliette captioned a Snapchat video she posted after her birthday in which she carried several dollar bills and said she would never return to Iwobi.