The 46-year-old Pastor enjoyed over a decade-long playing career as a top defensive kingpin, but former teammates have revealed that he was always in tune with his spiritual self.
Brazilian legend Ronaldo de Lima and former Italian striker Christian Vieri are not surprised that Taribo West took to pastoral ministry after quitting football.
They revealed that the former Super Eagles centre-back was a religious man when he was at Inter Milan.
West spent a couple of years at Internazionale, sharing a dressing room with some of the game’s best stars, including Ronaldo and Vieri. Together, they helped the San Siro giants to lift the UEFA Cup in West’s first season at the club.
The former Auxerre defender scored the extra-time winning goal against Schalke 04 in the quarter-finals of that tournament, but Vieri chose to revisit a moment when West cited God as the reason why he deserves a starting shirt ahead of a game.
In a live Instagram chat monitored by fcinter1908, the former Azzurri striker said of the Nigerian:
“Lippi gives the jerseys to the starters for the match, and Taribo did not get one. The coach then says to the starters to begin warm-up.
“Taribo said to Lippi: ‘Mister, but God told me I have to play’. Lippi responded God did not tell me anything.”
Il Fenomeno also had a similar story to share of how West took a long time praying for him when he was injured.
“When I was injured, I was desperate, and I had everyone come to my house. Taribo prayed in an incredible way. He did many prayers for me. It was a difficult period.”
West left Inter at the start of the millennium to city rivals AC Milan, and went on to play for Derby County, Kaiserslautern, and Partizan.
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