I earned millions in the Premier League and was Thierry Henry’s ‘toughest opponent’ – but I quit and now I’m a pastor
A FORMER Premier League star now works as pastor in Nigeria.
Taribo West was a tough tacking defender that stood out on the pitch thanks to his unique hairstyles.
The left-back was one of the best around in the late 1990s, winning the Ligue 1 title with Auxerre in 1996.
He then went on to play for both AC and Inter Milan before turning up for a spell in the Premier League with Derby in 2000.
Not many got the better of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, but West was someone he hated playing against.
The Frenchman previously revealed that he was one of the toughest opponents he ever faced.
Henry said: “At Auxerre they did man-marking. He followed you everywhere, even in the dressing room.”
But West now follows God rather than the best attackers in the world.
The 49-year-old is a Christian and claims he used lucky charms throughout his time as a footballer.
After retirement, he says rather than going head-to-head against a winger, he met God “one-on-one” and was convinced his purpose was religion.
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West founded a church in Lagos in 2014 and now works as a pastor.
On his career change, he said: “Why would I switch from being a footballer to becoming a pastor? I saw God one-on-one. That’s where my transition started; From the field to the pulpit.
“We were celebrating. In the middle of that, a woman stumbled into me and said: ‘Sir, please may I know your name?’
“I said: ‘I am Mr No Name’. She said: ‘May I know where you live?’ I said: ‘I live nowhere.’ She left with annoyance.
“In the twinkle of an eye, I just heard an audible voice and it came like a slap. It said: ‘Switch, turn.’ I turned.
“It said: ‘Look at the woman. Look for her now and call that woman and apologise to her. I said that to you.’
“That can only be a voice from God.
“So I switched, like a Robocop, I start searching for the woman, and when this sister came all the way from America, she told me a lot of prophecies.
“And she told me in the next one or two years; I would open a church. All the prophecies she gave me came to pass.”
Before finding God, football was his savoir, admitting he would’ve become “one of the bad boys in town” after an abusive childhood had it not been for the beautiful game.
The Olympic gold medal winner in 1996 is now determined to help young people in Nigeria as a coach and through religion.