I get the privilege to play with Mesut every day. He is a world-class player. He gives me advice in a different way. He jokes around but he always tells me I can do more. He also gives me the confidence to express myself.

Coach Amodu has coached the cream of Nigerian football players and I had the privilege of working with him albeit for a very short time during the preparations for the two-legged Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Egypt.

I would say each day I'm still growing and still learning, but negatives, obviously they're always going to criticise me for my goals and assists, which I need to add to my game if I want to be compared with the people I'm playing with.

I don't know the stats but with Mesut in the team, you are always going to get at least three chances a game from him. He always provides an excellent pass or something, a good move or play that leads to a goal, or almost leads to a goal.

I will take ownership of the nutmeg. My uncle Okocha has got the skills but the nutmeg, the prince title they call me for that, I will say it is my ownership. It happens instinctively, sometimes the easiest way of getting past my opponent.

When people compare me to him... it's like 'wow' maybe they see me on his level but I don't believe I am there yet. It is what it is, he's a skilful player, I'm quite skilful myself so they are always going to compare me to him especially that he's my uncle.

Obviously, people in the media speak a lot when things aren't going right, but we as players do communicate with each other. Maybe it doesn't come across as being loud on the pitch - and you don't see it as much - but we do speak when things aren't going as well as planned.

Whenever something in the system changes, you have to prove yourself again. But wherever you go, you have to prove that you're better than whoever else is on the team. At a team like Arsenal, that's always going to be hard so I always have to be on it in training and matches.

From Under 15s to Under 19s, I was concentrating playing for England, it was close to me, I could just go to St George's Park, it was nice. Going back to school when you've just played for England, it was amazing, you're one of the best players in the country, that's why you're getting picked.

When Nigeria actually gave me the call-up I thought 'oh, it's going to be a challenge, I don't go back there a lot, I don't really speak the language.' I wasn't speaking the language as fluently as I am now, so it was always going to be a challenge, but it was a challenge I decided to take and change nationalities.

Share This Page