Fenerbahce midfielder Mesut Ozil has expressed his delight after meeting Nigeria and Africa legend Jay-Jay Okocha at their Uefa Europa League game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.
Okocha played for both teams during his playing career and he spent four years in Frankfurt before moving to Fenerbahce in 1996.
The 48-year-old was mostly admired for his style of play and Ozil revealed his love for him as the Feneberhace player he liked most before he joined the club in January.
After their 1-1 draw at the Sukru Saracolglu Stadium, Ozil - who was an unused substitute - shared a moment with Okocha and he described the brief time as an honour for him.
“What an honour to meet one of my childhood idols: Jay-Jay Okocha. It's been great talking to you my friend,” Ozil wrote on Instagram.
Back in January after he completed a free transfer and signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Fenerbahce, the former Arsenal playmaker confessed his love for Okocha.
“First of all, I greet everyone. I don't know what to say. I'm very excited. Fenerbahce was a dream for me," Ozil said.
“I hope I will be useful to my team. I am very happy to be here. Thank you very much, everyone.
"Among the players who played in Fenerbahce in the past, I liked Jay-Jay Okocha the most. Now I like Dimitrios Pelkas, with whom we played in the same position. He is a very talented player.
"I believe that we will be champions. Fenerbahce always plays for the title.
"There is always pressure on a football player. I always played in big clubs, and there was always pressure.
“Fenerbahce is also a big club and I know there will be pressure here. This is a club I love very much. I will do my best. I hope everything will be fine.”