Interview: Ikechi Anya - Touched by the hand of Hod

He grew up in Castlemilk, now Ikechi Anya is playing in Spain thanks to the former England manager

IKECHI Anya’s apartment is just a few blocks from the Ramon de Carranza Stadium in Cadiz, an ancient Spanish port on a sliver of land surrounded by sea. The temperature is touching 30 degrees, sandy beaches stretch along the shore and the football is everything it is meant to be in the home of the world champions.

This morning, the Glasgow-born winger has been to training, where the routine, as always, starts with a game of El Rondo, the traditional passing exercise practised on a daily basis throughout the country. At Cadiz, where he is on loan, or at Granada, with whom he has a three-year contract, the philosophy is always the same.

“It’s all about the technical side,” says Anya. “I was brought up in England so I’m quite strong, but it doesn’t count for much here because as soon as a player gets touched, they go down and the referee blows. Training in Spain is all about technique and ball work. The English league is more physical, but the technical side here makes up for that. Slowly, I’m adapting to it.”

On Tuesday night in Alicante, a few hours east along the Spanish coastline, the two cultures will clash when Scotland play Spain in the last European Championship qualifying match of Group I. Anya, the 23-year-old son of a Nigerian father and a Romanian mother, will be rooting for the country of his birth, even if his links with it are not as strong as they used to be.

The first seven years of his life were spent in Castlemilk, where he attended Spittal Primary School. His father, a research scientist, had moved to Scotland with his wife so that he could study and work at the University of Strathclyde. “I didn’t play for a team in Scotland. I just played with my brother, who is older than me. I can remember being a Rangers fan, and always wanting them to do well. I think they were more successful than Celtic at that time, which was probably a factor.”

When his father moved to Oxford, Ikechi’s talent for football developed. A little winger with lightning pace, he became the youngest player ever to represent Wycombe Wanderers when he was given a first-team debut by Tony Adams at the age of 16. Another Scot, Russell Martin, now of Norwich City, was also at the club in those days. Much was expected of Anya until a knee injury, and later tendonitis, halted his progress.

There was a period in non-league football, with Oxford City and Halesowen Town, and later a spell at Northampton Town, but his big break came in a trial for the new Glenn Hoddle Academy, set up in southern Spain to develop players who have been prematurely cast aside. James Dayton, now of Kilmarnock, was another rescued by the project. “Originally, when the academy was set up, it was for players released from the Premier League or the Championship, but John Gorman [another of his managers at Wycombe] put in a good word for me. Luckily, I managed to do all right in a trial and got accepted. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it hadn’t been for that.”

One of the many friendlies contested by Hoddle’s players was against Seville, who were so impressed with Anya that they signed him in 2009. Although he played only in their reserve side, there were periods when he trained with the first team, which included one or two of the current national team, including Alvaro Negredo. In the summer of 2010, he joined Celta Vigo, where he made one first-team appearance before signing a three-year contract with Granada three months ago.

Granada are newly-promoted to La Liga so Anya has been farmed out on loan. The Scot has been asked to prove himself with Cadiz, of Segunda B, which is the third tier of Spanish football, roughly equivalent to England’s League One. He has been assured that he will be recalled by his permanent employers but, until then, he has to hope that Granada remain in the top flight, which they are enjoying for the first time in 35 years. “It’s a hard league and the first year is always the hardest, but they’ve reinforced pretty well over the summer. I was speaking with the manager before I went on loan and he was very happy with me. I had a good pre-season with Granada. The way they play suits me. Hopefully, if they stay up, and the manager is still there, he will not forget me.”

Not many in Scotland have remembered Anya. When he joined the Hoddle academy, there was an e-mail from Billy Stark, coach of the nation’s under-21 team, but nothing materialised. He is still a long way from international recognition, but if that were to change, he insists that Scotland would get the nod over Romania, Nigeria and England, all of whom he is eligible to play for.

“I don’t really look into it that deeply, but from a young age, if England have been playing Scotland, I’ve always wanted Scotland to win. For now, nobody has shown any interest so I haven’t really had to think about it, but Scotland would probably be the best opportunity for me. I know the language, and I was born there.”

Anya’s parents still live in England, as do his friends. His brother, Chima, a medical doctor and part-time hip-hop artist, is in London. Ikechi admits that, unless it goes “ridiculously well” for him in Spain, the next move could be back to the country where he spent most of his childhood years. In truth, there is nothing for him in Scotland any more, unless one of its clubs were to offer him a deal. “I’ve never been back since I left,” he admits. “It’s sad because, when I first moved to England, I always thought we would go back. That’s where my friends were. But I’ve lost contact with them and there hasn’t been any reason to return. With technology the way it is now, maybe I could get in touch with some of them. I’d love to see what they’re up to. If there was a reunion of my school or something, I’d be more than happy to come back.”