50 years of MHSC: John Utaka, the most scumbag of Nigerians

John Utaka a fait de Montpellier sa maison. Midi Libre – FRANCK VALENTIN

Le buteur du titre de 2012 a trouvé à Montpellier une seconde maison. Il est même revenu au club pour entraîner.

Un hors-série de 84 pages

Condensing half a century of history into 84 pages. This is the challenge taken up by the sports editorial team at Midi Libre in this special edition on the 50th anniversary of the MHSC. Available on newsstands on December 11 for just 5 euros, this glossy magazine will allow you to relive the great moments in the history of the Montpellier club through our “50” who made the MHSC. Players, coaches and builders, of course, starting with this “Nicollin Saga”, told by Laurent and Colette, the wife of the late Loulou. A special edition packed with anecdotes and unpublished photos with an exclusive interview with Olivier Giroud.

A special edition available on newsstands

He will forever remain the man who gave Montpellier the 2012 French championship title with his two goals in Auxerre (1-2). However, John Utaka does not take personal glory from it, preferring to highlight the group and the club more generally. “It's the collective. We can't do this without our teammates. Personally, I'm happy, it's special but it's for the president (Loulou) that I'm more happy given everything he's done for us,” rejoices the Nigerian twelve years later.

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Who only stayed two and a half years as a player at the club but whose values ​​resonated with him. “Respect, humility, work, determination, transmission”,puts before the one who still seems to be 25 years old as his facial features have not changed and who still sports a thin moustache and a small goatee.

The virtues of the club resemble him

Virtues that are dear to him and speak to him because they represent the education received by his family. He found a second one in Montpellier and at the end of his playing career at 38 after having spent time in Egypt, Qatar, England, France, Turkey and Indonesia, it was in Hérault that he returned and towards the MHSC. “My house is here, the children are here. I feel at home here, I feel at peace. There was no hesitation, it was obvious”, assures the former striker who now takes care of all the club's offensive players.

Because Montpellier therefore extended a helping hand to him for his reconversion.“I called Laurent and he told me to let me think about it. The next day, he asked me if I wanted to take care of the youngsters and that I was here in my house. I was pleased. It's not a club like the others.” Since then, John Utaka has taken the time to train with the other educators of the club and Michel Rodriguez in the under-19s.

Winning trophies as a coach

With an ambition as intact as when he was a player. “My goal is to go as high as possible. As a player, I aimed for the top level. As a coach, it has to be the same. It's the same idea. My goal is to coach in Ligue 1. When I was playing, my dream was first to play in Europe. Then it was to participate in the World Cup. I also managed to play in the Champions League. I always said that the trophies I didn't win as a player, I would like to win them as a coach.”

To get there, the 42-year-old assistant coach knows that it will come through work, one of his mantras in life. “My uncle told me, as long as you work, you won't have any worries.” That's what René Girard, his coach, understood well the year of the title. “I wasn't having any luck, I had chances but they weren't going in, they were hitting the post. He told me not to worry. That gave me confidence. And when it started to go in, he told me, you saw, you didn't give up.”

A lesson that he teaches to these young players today. “Not giving up is also a trademark of Loulou that Laurent continues to perpetuate today.” And all this said with a smile that never leaves John Utaka who has become a true pailladin of heart and mind.