Michael Olunga was cash-strapped during his time at Gor Mahia, former K’Ogalo coach Frank Nuttall has revealed.
The Englishman coached Olunga during his time with the record Kenyan champions and says that Olunga, who signed multi million deal with Qatari, side used to lack even bus fare.
Olunga recently joined Qatari side Al Duhail where he’s reportedly earning close to Sh16 million a month.
While Olunga has played in some of the top league since 2015 when he left Kenya going ahead to feature in the La Liga (Girona), Sweden with Djurgadens IF, China and recently Japan, Nuttall claims that the Kenyan International endured some difficult times at Gor Mahia before his big break.
“During this time (at Gor Mahia), he was also studying engineering at university and going without salary due to financial difficulties at the club.
“He would often turn up for training drained by exams and having no money, so I would tell him to get a massage and have a sleep at the back of the grandstand, but just be ready for the next match,” Nuttal revealed.
The former Hearts of Oak and El Merreaikh coach also claimed that “some people” did not want Olunga to be fielded because “he wasn’t good enough”.
“By the way, many people used to tell me not pick him, that he wasn’t good enough, that he wouldn’t score goals!
“Thank goodness I thought differently.”
Nuttall thinks that Kenya should be truly very proud of Olunga whom he referred to as “Big Man”.
“Congratulations and good luck to Michael Olunga on his recent move to Qatar. At Gor Mahia, in our unbeaten season of 2015, he scored a total of 35 goals for club and country.”
Olunga, 27, is set to make his FIFA World Club Championship when Al Duhail takes on reigning African champions Al Ahly.
He finished as the J1 League MVP and the top scorer last season.
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