Enyimba center-back Ifeanyi Anaemena has explained the reason behind his decision to leave Enyimba for league rivals Rivers United.

The defender was unveiled on Tuesday alongside goalkeeper and former Enyimba teammate Theophilus Afelokhai as Rivers United’s latest acquisitions in an epic move that generated ripples across the country.

But he told brila.net in an interview that much as he loved playing for Enyimba who gave him his first taste of topflight football as a 24-year-old, he felt his time at the club had run its course and it was time for him to make a move and gain other new challenges.

“I can say that my experience in Aba, my stay there for the first few seasons were good memories, a very exciting one, and they also brought me to the top flight of the game,”

“I’ve been at Enyimba since 2014, and it’s a privilege for me to be reckoned as one of the legends in the team. And having contributed my quota so far, and I so much appreciate the team, I love the team, when I’m playing for Enyimba I’m always [passionate], determined, focused, playing as if the team was owned by my father. But then, I know that there is always room for change.

“When it is time in football for you to move, you have to move, because you don’t know, you can never tell what the situation would be. So, I’ve contributed my quota and I think it’s time for me to move on.”

“It’s true that a lot of fans will be happy for my movement, for my move to Rivers United. Some will feel disappointed that I shouldn’t have left Enyimba, knowing that I’m the captain of the team,” he said.