Keinan Davis and Allan battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Everton. Copyright: Imago/LindseyxParnaby
Former Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis has described Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye as one of the best goalkeepers he has played with in his career, Soccernet.ng reports.
In 64 appearances for the Little Zebras, the Nigeria international has secured 15 clean sheets with 87 goals conceded.
The English forward, who previously played alongside Okoye at Watford, revealed the Nigerian’s influence at Udinese has been vital to the club’s results in Serie A.
Ex-Aston Villa man names Okoye among the best
Speaking about his relationship with Okoye, Davis, who made 73 appearances for the Villains, scoring three goals, explained that he already knew the goalkeeper’s ability before arriving in Italy.
“Maduka is a very good goalkeeper. He was at Watford when I was there as well, so when I came here, obviously, I knew him,” Davis said to Ratings.
He added that Okoye’s absence at the start of the campaign did not take away from his importance to the team, noting that the Nigerian has been a regular figure since returning to action.
“He didn’t begin the start of the season with us, but he’s been playing since, and he played last year,” Davis stated.
How Super Eagles keeper saved Udinese vs Frosinone
Davis also recalled a specific match that opened Okoye’s value to Udinese. He pointed to their encounter with Frosinone as a key example.
“The game against Frosinone, where I scored, some people don’t remember but he was very good in this game… he helped us a lot. They had a lot of opportunities to score, and he saved us a lot,” he said.
The striker concluded his praise by ranking Okoye highly among the goalkeepers he has worked with, describing him as elite.
“He’s obviously a top goalkeeper, definitely one of the best that I’ve played with,” Davis added.
Maduka Okoye’s strong performance in Serie A
Okoye has been in impressive form for Udinese in recent weeks with commanding displays between the posts as the club battles for European qualification.
Last week, the Nigerian goalkeeper produced a standout performance in Udinese’s 1–0 victory over AS Roma, making several key saves to secure a clean sheet.
His recent run of form has firmed his status as Udinese’s first-choice goalkeeper and strengthened his case for continued involvement with the Super Eagles.