By Hananeel Jackson

Former Bayelsa Queens Chairman Mr. Tarilaye Nwankwe says his family background made it easy for him to combine sports with education while playing for Bayelsa United.

Mr. Nwankwe in a chat with Radio Nigeria in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, however stressed that combining sports and education was not that rosy because his mother was a teacher while his dad was actively involved in sports.

The former Bayelsa united captain who played for the Club from 2000-2013 noted that his family encouraged him to balance his career with education.

Popularly known as ‘Skippo’ , Mr. Nwankwe who has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Ibadan and a Master’s degree from the University of Port Harcourt explained that the reason for his success story was hinged on effective time management and sacrifice.

He emphasized that the extravagant life by players and failure to plan while playing were some of the reasons why some footballers find life challenging after retirement.

The Doctor of Philosophy hopeful urged players to see education as a vital tool to securing a brighter future in the society, calling on footballers to be up and about in all spheres of life.

Mr. Tarilaye Nwankwe charged youths who have dreams of becoming professional footballers to take education seriously, pointing out that football and school can go together.