Nigerian midfielder John Ogu says he endured hard times in Europe after abandoning his education to chase his dream in football.

Ogu has been a mainstay in the Super Eagles team in the past few years and his time with his former Israeli club side Hapoel Be’er Sheva saw him won league titles and cups.

However, Ogu opened up that his journey to stardom was not without sacrifices, as he abandoned his education to move to Europe and added that former Super Eagles vice-captain Eddie Onazi helped him find his feet before securing a deal in Israel.

“I took a risk, letting go of my education to play football in Slovenia. It was cold and tough. About six of us left Nigeria then, it wasn’t easy,” Ogu said.

“Staying in Europe without a team was one of the toughest parts of my career. I moved in with Onazi in Italy, he helped and supported me during these times until I had a chance to move to Israel, it wasn’t the best of offers but I had to get playing again. I’m happy today, I came over the period and here I am today,”

The 30-year-old, however, warned young players against selfish football agents, who only care about money and not the player’s career.

“Young players should we wary of bad agents who are only concerned about the money and not the development of the player.” He concluded.