Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has melted hearts with a touching act of appreciation to his former grassroots coach, Nduka Ugbade, gifting him a brand-new Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) in recognition of his role in shaping his football career.
The emotional moment was captured on video, showing the 28-year-old Leicester City star embracing a visibly moved Ugbade before presenting him with the car.
The surprise gift, Ndidi revealed, was his way of saying “thank you” to a man he regards as a foundational influence on his football journey.
“This is the least I can do,” Ndidi said. “Coach Nduka believed in me when I was just a boy with a dream. He taught me discipline and hard work and gave me the confidence to believe in my talent.”
Coach Nduka Ugbade, now 55, is a legendary figure in Nigerian football. A member of the iconic Golden Eaglets team that won the inaugural FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1985, Ugbade has served Nigerian football at virtually every level—first as a player, then as a coach.
He featured in all categories of the national team setup, playing six matches each for the U-17 and U-20 teams, before earning five senior caps for the Super Eagles.
After retiring from professional football in 2003, Ugbade took up coaching, guiding several domestic teams and returning to the national fold as head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 team during the 2023 AFCON U-17 tournament in Algeria.
Despite a quarter-final exit at the hands of Burkina Faso, Ugbade’s contribution to youth development in Nigerian football remains undeniable—and Ndidi’s gesture is a testament to that legacy.
Ndidi, whose club Leicester City suffered relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2024-2025 season, has remained one of Nigeria’s most consistent football exports.
Since joining the Foxes from Belgian side Genk in 2017, he has made 303 appearances, netting 18 goals and delivering 22 assists.
In the most recent season, he featured 30 times for Leicester, scoring once in the League Cup and registering five assists in the Premier League.