Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has revealed that earning a university degree remains one of his personal goals, saying he intends to return to school despite achieving global success as a professional footballer.
The Galatasaray forward made the revelation in an interview with Instablog that resurfaced on Monday, where he reflected on education, life experiences and the importance of preparing for life after football.
Osimhen admitted that many of his greatest lessons have come from life outside the classroom but insisted that formal education still holds great value for him.
“As an adult, not everything I learned in school. There are some kinds of life lessons you encounter through life’s journey,” he said.
The 2023 African Footballer of the Year noted that a football career is temporary and stressed the need to prepare for the future beyond the pitch.
“For me, it will be an amazing thing to also try to get a degree, which I’m still considering because football is not something you will play for so long, probably 20 or 25 years, and then you’re done,” he explained.
Osimhen said one of his biggest motivations is to inspire young people who were forced to abandon their education due to financial difficulties or other life challenges. According to him, leaving school should never be seen as the end of one’s academic journey.
“For me, it’s to set a standard, to set an example to the younger generation that even though you dropped out due to some kind of challenges, you can always go back to school because the school is always there,” he added.
The striker’s comments have resonated with many Nigerians, considering his own remarkable journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the world’s most respected forwards. Born in Edo State, Osimhen rose to international prominence after finishing as the top scorer at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, helping Nigeria lift the trophy.
His professional career has taken him through VfL Wolfsburg in Germany, Charleroi in Belgium and Lille in France before joining Napoli in 2020. In Italy, he won the Serie A Golden Boot and played a key role in ending Napoli’s 33-year wait for a league title before moving to Turkish champions Galatasaray.
Osimhen has consistently encouraged young footballers to combine education with their sporting ambitions. Earlier this year, he donated ₦10 million to Beyond Limits Football Academy in Ikenne, Ogun State, where he advised aspiring players to prepare for life after football, reminding them that education remains one of the most valuable investments they can make.
