He asserts that he participated in youth teams for Millwall, Charlton, and Arsenal while living in London, England.
Naira Marley claimed that his upbringing led him to adopt Nigerian culture wherever he could. He was describing his early years in the UK before moving back to his country.
In a Lagos interview with Cool FM Nigeria, the artist talked about how his father influenced the development of his Yoruba language when he was a young child.
He claimed, "I grew up in South-East London, specifically Peckham, which made it simple for me to combine with Nigerian street music. You get what I mean when I say that's like a little Lagos?
And my father forbade using English in the home throughout my entire time in England. As a result, we had to learn Yoruba and other related terms. I continue to enjoy Fuji. We consume African cuisine. It felt as though I was still in Nigeria even though I was in England. Yes, I found it to be simple. People in Nigeria didn't really know I was from London until I returned.
"I used to play for Arsenal Youth, Millwall, and Charlton, so I could have been a football player too."