Former Jersey football administrator Ricky Weir returned to Nigeria this month with three missions close to his heart: promoting his award-winning memoir, ‘Illegitimately Blessed’, supporting grassroots football development and strengthening the growth of Walking Football in the country.

For more than two decades, Weir’s quest to reconnect with his Nigerian heritage remained a deeply personal journey marked by unanswered questions, painstaking research and emotional discoveries.

He said he believes Illegitimately Blessed, a book that chronicles his remarkable life journey, has the potential to inspire readers across Nigeria and Africa.

Speaking in Lagos, Weir said the memoir has evolved far beyond what he initially imagined when he self-published it in September 2024.

“When I finished the book, my goal was simply to complete it, leave something meaningful for my three sons and hopefully inspire one person. Everything after that has been a bonus.”

The book was later picked up by a European publisher, Europe Book and went on to win a literary award in Italy, a recognition he described as both surprising and humbling.

“I was never sure what impact it would have,”

While football forms part of the narrative, Weir insists the book is about much more than Football.

“It covers identity, family, discrimination, resilience and overcoming challenges, It's not just a football book.”

The memoir tells the story of a man born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a Nigerian father whom he never met. His father died before he was born, and he was subsequently placed for adoption and raised in Scotland by adoptive parents.

Weir said he delayed searching for his biological roots out of respect for the family that brought him up.

“I never wanted my adopted parents to feel they were somehow not enough,” he explained. “My real parents were the people who raised me.”

The search eventually led him to uncover his father's Nigerian heritage and establish connections with relatives and communities linked to his family history.

The Founder of the Jersey 2 Africa 4 Football Foundation (J2A4F) received another award in Lagos from Africa Illustrious Awards by My Media Africa where he was bestowed with the ‘Award of Excellence and Special recognition as African Football Ambassador.’

He continued his grassroots football development activities by attending and officiating on the opening day of Olumide Aturu’s 5Stars Premier League in Abuja as well as projecting the Walking football at the Eagle Club Pitch in Surulere Lagos.

“It was gratifying to see how far it has come,” he said. “There are now league programmes and women's teams, which is fantastic.” He said about the growth of Walking football.

A prolific striker in his playing days, Weir scored more than 600 goals in over 1,000 career matches before moving into football administration.

He later served as president of the Jersey Football Association for 6 years and established charitable initiatives aimed at using football as a tool for social development across Africa.

His relationship with Nigeria has grown steadily in recent years. This was his fifth visit to the country.

Weir was instrumental in introducing Walking Football to Nigeria in 2020 and said he was encouraged by the progress made since then, including the establishment of league competitions and the emergence of women's teams.

Walking football is a slow-paced, non-contact variation of association football fast gaining acceptance Worldwide.

Now armed with a Nigerian passport, he hopes to spend even more time in the country.

“The biggest thing is that I can come back whenever I want,” he said. “I don't have to think about visas or costs anymore. It allows me to embrace the country more, spend time with family, and potentially shift more of my football development work to Nigeria.”

After 14 years of philanthropic work centered largely in Kenya, Weir believes the next chapter of his African journey may increasingly be written in the land of his father.

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