TAIWO: ‘MONEY WON’T FORCE ME OUT OF MARSEILLE!’

Congratulations on your successful campaign with Olympic Marseille this season. What has been the key to your success?God is the main factor to my recent success with Marseille, I cannot deny that. Besides, I want to say that it pays to be hard-working as a professional footballer like me if one is really determined to make good success in the game. It is God that gave me the opportunity to be where I am today, so I owe God and my family a lot by putting in more efforts in terms of training and discipline. I am glad we won double last season, but there are still more laurels to be won this season. As you can see, we are still on course in the French Ligue 1 despite the fact that we occupy fifth on the table, but only three points separate us from the league leaders, Lille OSC.

The French Ligue 1 has been very competitive this season with little known Lille OSC dictating the pace on the table. As team captain, do you still fancy Marseille making it double this season?

Everything is possible with God. I have been telling my teammates that we need to be very hardworking this season because every club now see themselves as potential winners of the league. We have resolved to work as a team and thank God we have been able to put up some sterling performances in the league this season. I just returned from our pre-season training now, we are ready to return to the summit again. We have our next game against Girondins Bordeaux and we are very determined to win that match.

You have continued to maintain the good reputation of African players at Marseille, with the likes of Abedi Pele singing your praises. Are you under any pressure to equal Abedi’s UEFA Champions League record as Marseille face Manchester United in February?

Abedi has always been a good ambassador of Marseille and he is well respected here. The door is always open to him each time he comes around to watch his son, Dede Ayew. He usually communicates with me and encourages us to take the club to greater heights. It is a great thing for me to get lots of plaudits from one of Africa’s and Marseille’s all time best. He won several titles with Marseille and it will be difficult to equal his stunning success at Marseille even though he keeps telling us that we can surpass his record. I am always lifted each time he comes to Marseille to cheer us up. As to Manchester your question on our chances against Manchester United, I think the game is open at this stage of Champions League. All we need to do is to believe in ourselves and go for the kill against United. We all know United is a big club and they surely have a big reputation in Europe but we are focused too, we will prepare adequately against United.

The media have been awashed with reports of your impeding exit from The Velodrome with clubs like Juventus, Liverpool, Fiorentina, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Tottenham touted as your possible destination. Where is TT heading to?