Super Eagles and Udinese stopper Maduka Okoye says his confidence has soared thanks to valuable guidance from his goalkeeping coaches after stepping up from the Eredivisie.
The 25-year-old shared that as he continues to accumulate match experience, “things are different now… I’m presently more confident in my abilities”—a notable contrast to when he first arrived in Italy .
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Okoye credited Kosta Runjaic, Udinese’s tactically astute head coach, with a marked influence on his evolution: “He changed my style as a goalkeeper… he needs a goalkeeper who is playing a lot with the feet.”
He explained that adapting to playmaking responsibilities, including distributing the ball out from the back, has been a “very, very big upgrade” for his game .
Further credit went to goalkeeper coach Sergio Macron, who Okoye praised for detail-oriented training that has “widened” and refined his skill set.
“The art is to have as many good days as possible and fewer mistakes,” he explained, underscoring his commitment to consistency .
Reflecting on Udinese’s season, Okoye noted that the team finished 12th in Serie A with 44 points—an improvement from 15th the previous year.
“We tried to reach 50 points… we didn’t, but I think it was a good season as a team and also individually,” he added, expressing optimism for further growth .
Looking ahead, Okoye did not rule out a future return to English football—a Premier League ambition he maintains—but stressed his current focus remains on Udinese, where he feels “very happy” and “committed” to delivering strong performances .
With his rising confidence and continued technical evolution, the 1.98 m goalkeeper appears poised to make an even greater impact both in Italy and with the Super Eagles.
