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By Johnny Edward.
Former Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, believes striker Josh Maja is finally fulfilling his talent at Girondins de Bordeaux, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Nigeria international Maja has shut his critics following a brilliant first half of the Ligue 2 season, where he tops the scorers chat with 11 goals from 22 games, averaging a goal every 157 minutes, with Rohr not surprised at the incredible return to goalscoring form of the former Sunderland striker.
Previously maligned in France, Maja has seen a turnaround in fortunes at Bordeaux.
The former Fulham ace has gone from being a want-away striker to being the number-one goals scorer at the club.
Maja is leading Bordeaux’s charge towards an instant return to Ligue 1, following their relegation last time and Rohr believes his best is yet to come.
“Maja? I see him every weekend because I’m in the committee of Girondins de Bordeaux 1881, which is the council of administration, so I’m involved in the direction of the club,” Rohr told PUNCH Sports Extra.
“He (Maja) is our best scorer and he has scored 11 goals after 22 games and he is the top scorer in Ligue 2.
“I had him in my squad for Nigeria’s game against Ukraine, which ended 2-2, though he could not do so much in that game but he has given confirmation of the big talent he possesses.”
Meanwhile, Ligue 1 expert Jonathan d’Agostino also admitted in an interview with WebGirondins that he never expected Maja to come good for Bordeaux after his mediocre first few years in France.
“Maja, who scored 11 goals and delivered three assists in 22 games, it’s still a ratio that is very interesting for a player we thought we would never see again at a good level,” d’Agostino said.
Maja joined Bordeaux from Sunderland in January 2019, scoring nine league goals in his first three years at the club before the start of this season.
In January, Maja was linked with a move away from Bordeaux with Fulham offering £4m for the 24-year-old Nigeriam, with additional reports that Real Valladolid were also interested.
He will look to end his three-game goals drought when Bordeaux takes on Niort in a Ligue 2 encounter on Saturday.