The First Jersey

My first ever football jersey was gifted to me by a friend when we were leaving Secondary School. It was a Newcastle jersey. The one with white and black stripes, bishop collar and Brown Ale as sponsors designed by Adidas. There was no inscription behind. Whenever I wore that jersey I always imagined I was Alan Shearer (a Newcastle Legend) but I have this big bro that I call the spoiler. I was feeling fly in this jersey one day I went to visit him in Unilag and what he said made me not even have an iota of respect for Shearer anymore. He said a half legged Jurgen Klinsmann was way better than Alan Shearer. I mean Shearer who went on to set a Premiership record in terms of goals scored and someone just reduced him to nothing. It was the last time I wore that jersey.

I still keenly follow Newcastle United though like I follow Aston Villa, Juventus, Real Madrid, Aberdeen and Kano Pillars. I am beginning to fancy Mountain of Fire Football Club.
However, my first real football jersey was bought for me by my darling mum (rest on mum). I got a call from her that very day in September, 2003. She was in the UK and she asked red or white? I didn’t have to ask her what she was talking about, I knew it was a MANCHESTER UNITED jersey. I said red and she was like what should be inscribed behind it. That was where I had a problem. I was torn between writing Nistelrooy (my favourite Man U player at the time) or the new summer signing C. Ronaldo. I decided to get greedy and ask for two jerseys, she almost went livid. I told her C.Ronaldo only for me to call her 5 minutes later that she should ask them to write something else. I wanted to settle for something that would last a very long time.
I asked her to tell the guys at the store to have “FAN 4 LIFE” written behind the kit.

I got a hold of my precious jersey on the 21st of September, 2003 the day Manchester United played out a goalless draw with Arsenal. It was the season the Gunners went unbeaten in the league. If only Ruud Van Nistelrooy had scored the penalty Man U had in that game, the story would have been different.
14 years on and I can boast to have had 22 Manchester United jerseys though a large number gifts from very special people (12 of them). Every 29th of December you will always see spotting a Manchester United jersey, it became a tradition since December 29, 2004. So if you want to make my year just present me with a Manchester United jersey.

Now you know!