Obafemi Martins is 27 going on 21

By: Bob | August 15th, 2006

Whether it is to dodge the draft, get into a drinking establishment or to impress a member of the opposite sex, chances are that at least once in your life you didn’t tell the truth about your age.

That is why we won’t castigate Inter Milan striker Obafemi Martins if the reports are true that he is in fact 27 years old instead of twenty-one.

The six year age discrepancy could very well end up costing Martins a whole lot of dough. Newcastle is keen on acquiring the Nigerian player perhaps best known for the youthful back flips he performs after scoring goals, but the Magpies aren’t so keen on shelling out big bucks for a guy who will be wearing pink pants and playing golf in an active adult community in a few years.

The source of this confusion? Apparently the Nigerian FA website has a history of listing erroneous information about the age of its players. Indeed, I checked it out and I am listed as a promising 19-year-old prospect. Newcastle should be ringing me shortly.

Here are some highlights that show why teams are interested in the youngster/oldster.