Ola Aina, defender of the Super Eagles team, reveals that in his early years, he almost joined Tottenham Hotspur. However, the decision not to join occurred when he and his father were kept waiting for nearly five hours on the day he was to be signed.
The 28-year-old stated on the 90’s baby show, that how his potential signing was handled was unpleasant, and the situation caused him to give up and walk away.
“I was at Spurs (Tottenham), training and training. Then, they told me that they were going to sign me on a particular day after the training,” he said.
“The time comes, we go into an office and me and my dad are told to sit. We sat there one hour, two hours, almost five hours. I was already complaining to my dad that I was hungry. My dad told me to go into the office. But we just got fed up and left. They never said anything to us after that.”
After an early experience with Tottenham’s youth setup, Ola Aina joined Chelsea’s academy in 2013. He progressed steadily through the youth ranks, winning multiple titles, but struggled to break into the senior team at Stamford Bridge despite making a few appearances under Antonio Conte.
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The London-born Nigerian international full‑back enjoyed loan spells at Hull City and Torino before finalizing a permanent transfer to the Italian club in 2019.
After joining Nottingham Forest from Torino in July 2023, the dynamic and dependable Super Eagles full‑back split his playing time between Torino and Fulham before finally settling at the City Ground. Since his arrival, Ola Aina has become a fixture in Forest’s defence, helping the club to a remarkable seventh‑place finish in the 2024‑25 Premier League campaign
His consistent performances earned him nominations for the Premier League Team of the Season and Fans’ Team of the Season.
Forest’s seventh‑place finish secured entry to the UEFA Conference League — their first foray into Europe in almost three decades — after a dramatic final‑day defeat to Chelsea cost them Champions League qualification.
With no prior experience in European tournaments, Aina is set to embrace the challenges ahead as Forest gear up for continental action next season.
