Former Nigerian international footballer Etim Esin has reflected on the controversial period of his career in Belgium, admitting that ignoring advice from late Super Eagles captain Stephen Keshi contributed to the troubles that nearly derailed his life.
Speaking in a recent interview, Esin revealed that Keshi once advised him to calm down and settle into a more stable lifestyle. According to him, the advice included getting into a serious relationship to help him stay focused.
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“Had it been I calmed down like Keshi advised me, ‘Get a woman, Itimi, your life will be more stable’, I think a lot of things I didn’t do then, I would have avoided. I learned a lesson from that,” he admitted.
Esin further opened up about the incident that got him into legal trouble in Belgium, explaining that his lifestyle at the time played a major role. He confessed that he was partying and dating multiple women, living as though he was still in Nigeria, without understanding how strict laws abroad could be.
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“That was the more reason I got involved with this r@pe issue, because I was living as if I’m living in Nigeria, not knowing that some things I could get away with here, I couldn’t get away with there,” he said.
Addressing the long-standing r@pe allegation, the ex-footballer insisted the girl involved was his girlfriend and denied knowingly committing any crime. However, he admitted that the situation worsened after it was discovered that the girl was underage.
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“She was 16, and I never knew. When you see them, they look mature. I wasn’t aware. If I was aware, she wouldn’t have come,” he explained.
Esin further revealed that his own statement admitting to sleeping with the girl, believing she was his girlfriend, became a major setback in his defense.
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“My lawyer even argued that I shouldn’t have accepted it. Because had I known, I would have just said I didn’t know or hadn’t slept with her. That was where I nailed myself again,” he said.
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