Finidi: "The Nigeria All-Stars have to take advantage of this opportunity"

He was once an iconic standard-bearer for Nigerian football in LaLiga and today he maintains close ties with the game both in Spain and back in his homeland. For this reason, few people can be better placed than the legendary Finidi George to discuss the Nigeria All-Stars' upcoming LaLiga World tour of Spain.

The ex-Real Betis and RCD Mallorca livewire is thrilled by this project, which he is convinced can boost the Nigerian football scene. "I think it's a fantastic initiative. All opportunities are welcome and I believe it's a great idea on LaLiga's part. Any sort of support is a good thing for Nigerian football. I think that such initiatives by LaLiga in Spain can play a very positive role," he told LaLiga.es.

Finidi has fond memories of his playing days in Spain, but feels that LaLiga is now followed more fervently than then – or indeed than ever before – back in Nigeria. "Of course my time in LaLiga was great. I came here at a very high point in my career and I really enjoyed my spells at Betis and Mallorca, so I have no complaints. In recent years the Spanish league has dominated world football. If it's not Real Madrid, it's FC Barcelona or Atletico Madrid, and people see that and it strikes a chord. People watch LaLiga and the Champions League, and they've really got into LaLiga lately, particularly now that there are more television broadcasts so they can watch games live."

The Nigeria All-Stars will kick off their tour by pitting their wits against Valencia CF in a friendly in Alzira on 10 August. Two days later, they will meet Malaga CF in the semi-finals of the Ramon de Carranza Trophy, which will also feature Atletico Madrid and Cadiz CF. The day after that, on the 13th, they will contest either the final of this prestigious summer tournament or the third-place playoff.

Finidi believes that taking part in the tour will be crucial for the current crop of Nigerian players, but he also thinks they have to make the most of the trip above and beyond the matches themselves. "It's important for them to be able to take advantage of this opportunity to come here and see how people work, rather than just play in a few games and leave. It's important to see how teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia work, check out their facilities and take some positives back to Nigeria with them," he noted.

The former winger emphasised how youth development is a vital factor if Nigerian football is to continue to grow in the coming years: "To reach a high level in Europe, you have to work very hard, especially in youth football, so that youngsters grasp key concepts, see how you can approach matches and what you need to do to improve. In terms of strength, we all know that Africans have that in abundance, but if you don't catch children at the age of 10 or 12, it's more difficult for them to learn. That's why we have to put lots of work into youth football. If you don't, competing is very tough nowadays, given the way football is," he concluded.

The current stars of Nigerian football are sure to put on a footballing show under the auspices of LaLiga World, and Finidi will certainly be keeping a close eye on how his countrymen get on in Spain.