History maker Iwobi says music is a hobby, a way to escape from football

Alex Iwobi has made history as the first Premier League player to produce and release a song titled ‘Don’t Shoot’.

The Nigerian told the London Evening Standard he has always loved music and it has proved an escape from the spotlight of being a Premier League footballer.

‘It’s a certain way of just expressing yourself and letting yourself be. It’s a hobby, a way to escape from football. It’s just a sense of freedom and being someone else – not just Alex the footballer,’ said the 27 year old who, on days off, often heads to the recording studio with friends.

What however started as a hobby for the former Arsenal Academy player who has featured in 253 Premier League games and has had 51 goal involvements viz 22 goals and 29 assists since he made his debut in the competition in October 2015, evolved into much more with the release of his single.

Iwobi explains the reason for the song and the lyrics which preaches peace and not violence.

‘Growing up in London, there is a lot of criminal activity, things that you don’t want to see or hear. With our powers, we are trying to say don’t do that, channel it into something else.

Whether it is football or music, anything that keeps you on the straight path is what we are trying to show everyone.

‘I’ve always loved music, I am not going to lie, but in terms of releasing a song, I never thought [that would happen]. It was just something where my friends said: ‘The music is actually decent, why don’t you release it?’

‘So, we thought let’s release it at the right time and not get distracted, because the main focus will always be football. But at the same time, I am more than just a footballer. I am human, like everyone else,’ said the Nigerian who, in the 2022/23 season, became the second Nigerian after Joseph Yobo to play every game of a Premier League season.