FORMER Tottenham favourite John Chiedozie had to push the pedal to the metal to make his trip down Memory Lane on Sunday.
He shouldn’t have been surprised though. After all, fleet-footed son Jordan – a hot prospect with Cherries’ development squad – rarely does things at a leisurely speed.
But even Chiedozie Snr, who himself was renowned for his pace during a stellar career in the professional game, was shocked at how quickly his boy had burst onto the football scene.
Wing-wizard John served his apprenticeship with over 200 appearances over spells with Leyton Orient and Notts County before leaping into the limelight with Spurs.
More than eight years after starting out, and while baby Jordan was still crying in his cot, the Nigerian international reached the peak of his powers, featuring against Real Madrid in the 1985 UEFA Cup.
So imagine the pride when dad received the call to go and watch his offspring make his first team debut for Cherries – against Real.
“Jordan called me at about six o’clock to say he was playing – I couldn’t believe it,” said John.
“It wasn’t until about 7.15 that he managed to get me a ticket. It was a real rush but I managed to get there.
“I was so proud, but also very worried for him. It was a one-sided game and it’s hard to get the ball against world-class players.
“When we (Spurs) played them at White Hart Lane there was a massive crowd and the atmosphere at Bournemouth brought back a lot of memories for me.”
Meanwhile, on the pitch, the world’s glare may have been on the Spanish superstars, but Jordan – who turns 19 next week – had his mind on the biggest audience he has performed in front of.
“It was surreal. I wasn’t thinking too much about Real Madrid, but it was my first game in front of a big crowd.
“I had been on the bench a few times but to actually get on was almost weird. It felt like it wasn’t happening.
“It wasn’t my best performance and I really wanted to get a shot off and test the goalie, but I have plenty to work on and hopefully I’ll get another chance in the first team.”
However, tonight marks a return to more humble and familiar surroundings for Cherries’ young hotshot when the development squad travels to Conference South club Dorchester Town (7.45pm).
Chiedozie Jnr had a loan spell at the Avenue Stadium last season, and while he had little opportunity to shine then, he still feels a temporary move could help him break into Cherries’ first team.
“My time there (at Dorchester) wasn’t really the best. They ended up playing one up front most of the time and I didn’t get to play much.
“It didn’t go how I imagined but it did help me to understand that things don’t always go your way in football.
“I’d love to go on loan to get some experience. I do want to play first team football but pushing for a place at Bournemouth might not be realistic at the moment.
"Maybe that will happen in another year or two but I would really like to challenge myself in League Two, maybe League One, to try and prove myself.”
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