Ola Aina: Football Profile of the Super Eagles Wing Back, His Clubs and Net Worth

Ola Aina is a Nigeria international right back and wing back, born Temitayo Olufisayo Olaoluwa Aina in Southwark, London, on 8 October 1996. He joined Nottingham Forest in July 2023, and in July 2025 he extended that contract to the summer of 2028. This profile follows his road from the Chelsea academy to the City Ground, his record with the Super Eagles, and the published estimates of what he earns, with each figure tied to a named outlet and a date.

Aina represented England at youth levels from under 16 to under 20 before pledging his international future to Nigeria in 2017. For South African readers who call the game soccer, his international career connects him with the Super Eagles and their meetings with Bafana Bafana. His route through English and Italian club football also gives readers in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda a career to follow across two European leagues and the Africa Cup of Nations.

Who Is Ola Aina?

Ola Aina is a defender who plays on the right of a back four or as a wing back in a back five, and he has represented Nigeria since 2017. He joined the Chelsea academy as an under 11. His parents are from Ijebu Ikenne, Ogun State, and he is the second of four children.

Is Olaoluwa Aina a different player? No, Olaoluwa is part of his full name, Temitayo Olufisayo Olaoluwa Aina. Searches for Olaoluwa Aina, Temitayo Aina or Ola Aina refer to the same Super Eagles defender, born in Southwark in 1996.

The Road From Southwark: Every Club and Every Reported Fee

Aina came through Chelsea, from the under 11s to the first team, and made his Premier League debut on 15 October 2016 in a 3 to 0 win over Leicester City. Loan moves then took him into Championship and Serie A football.

Hull City came first, on loan for the 2017 to 2018 season in the Championship, where he played 44 league matches. The Hull spell gave him a season of regular league football before his move to Italy.

Torino signed him on loan in August 2018 and made the move permanent in June 2019 for a reported £9 million. He made 113 appearances after the deal became permanent, before leaving Turin in 2023. In between, Fulham took him on loan for 2020 to 2021, and his first Premier League goal won the competition's Goal of the Month award for November 2020.

Nottingham Forest signed Aina in July 2023 on a deal of one year, which in hindsight looks a modest start for a player the club would later commit to for much longer. Forest extended his contract in July 2025, taking it to the summer of 2028. The player module records his Forest appearances, goals and minutes, with season filters allowing comparisons across his time at the club.

Why Did Ola Aina Choose Nigeria Over England?

Ola Aina played for England from under 16 to under 20 level, then pledged his international future to Nigeria in 2017. His parents are from Ijebu Ikenne, Ogun State. His England youth record and Nigeria senior career form distinct stages of his international journey.

His first Super Eagles appearance followed in October 2017 against Zambia in World Cup qualifying. With Nigeria, he finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and was a runner up at the 2023 tournament.

The distinction between birthplace, family roots and international representation matters when following Aina. Southwark identifies where he was born, Ogun State describes his parental connection, and Nigeria identifies his senior national team. Those details belong together: an English academy education and a Nigerian international identity are both part of his career.

His youth appearances should therefore be read separately from his Nigeria caps. For supporters tracing the Super Eagles connection through his club moves, the useful thread is the player himself: development in England, experience in Italy and senior international football with Nigeria.

What Does Ola Aina Do on the Pitch?

Ola Aina's roles include right back in a four and wing back in a five. Those positions involve different starting points: a right back operates within the defensive line, while a wing back provides width ahead of three central defenders.

His Torino career ran from an initial loan in 2018 to his departure in 2023, with the 2020 to 2021 season spent on loan at Fulham. That route took him between Serie A and English football before his move to Nottingham Forest.

A notable club moment came in November 2020, on loan at Fulham against West Brom. Fulham won 2 to 0, and Aina scored his first Premier League goal in that game, a strike that won the league's Goal of the Month award for November.

How should you read his numbers? Minutes, starts and appearances help describe a defender's involvement across a season. Read them alongside his position and substitutions: a full match at right back and a shorter appearance at wing back represent different assignments.

When watching Aina for Nigeria, follow what happens before he receives possession. The position of the winger ahead of him affects whether the outside lane is available; the nearest midfielder offers another passing route. An overlapping run travels outside a teammate, while an underlapping run goes inside. Recognising those movements helps explain how a wide defender contributes even when someone else supplies the final pass.

Without possession, watch the space between Aina and the nearest central defender, then the opponent arriving behind him. A tackle count alone cannot describe those responsibilities. A defender may help by delaying an attack, directing it towards support or staying close enough to discourage a pass. These are useful viewing questions for his club appearances and Super Eagles matches, rather than assumptions that every formation gives him identical instructions.

Ola Aina and the Super Eagles: Debut, AFCON Medals and the Caps Count

Aina won his first Nigeria cap in October 2017, in a World Cup qualifier against Zambia. His international record includes Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, continental and World Cup qualifiers, and friendlies.

For his international appearance total, consult the caps module. Its competition breakdown separates tournament appearances from qualifiers and friendlies, while the written milestones here identify his debut and completed AFCON campaigns.

His first Africa Cup of Nations came in 2019, where he set up the only goal against Burundi in the opening match and Nigeria finished third. At the 2023 tournament, Nigeria reached the final and finished as runners up, and Aina was named in the Team of the Tournament.

On 16 November 2025, Nigeria drew 1 to 1 with DR Congo in the CAF World Cup play off final and lost on penalties, ending their qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

Ola Aina net worth

Pulse Nigeria estimated Ola Aina's net worth at £4 million to £10 million, which it also gave as 5 million to 10 million US dollars, in an article dated 14 January 2026. Pulse Nigeria reported that several sources put the figure at £4 million to £10 million, and these are unofficial estimates.

On salary, Pulse Nigeria reported in 2026 that Aina earns £60,000 a week at Nottingham Forest, and it said the terms of his July 2025 extension were unconfirmed. Nairametrics, in a list of the highest paid footballers of Nigerian descent dated 7 March 2026, estimated £40,000 a week and £2.1 million a year. The two outlets give different estimates, and Pulse notes the extension terms are unconfirmed.

Pulse Nigeria (2026) reported no endorsement deal values and noted that he is an investor in the boot brand Sokito, without publishing a figure for that stake. We have not converted these sums into naira, shillings, rand or cedis, because exchange rates move every day, and a pound figure multiplied by the day's rate gives a fairer picture than a conversion printed once.

The reported £9 million attached to Aina's permanent Torino move in 2019 is a transfer figure. It should be read separately from the dated salary and net worth estimates, which describe different financial measures.

How to Watch Ola Aina From Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Uganda

For Aina's club appearances, begin with the Forest fixture listing and check its competition label before looking at viewing details. Select your country in the broadcast module: Nigerian, Kenyan, South African, Ghanaian and Ugandan audiences each need the relevant local listing.

To follow Aina at an English ground with a 15:00 winter kick off, set your viewing time to WAT 16:00, EAT 18:00, SAST 17:00 or GMT 15:00. When Britain observes Summer Time, the equivalent for that 15:00 fixture becomes WAT 15:00, EAT 17:00, SAST 16:00 or GMT 14:00. Aina supporters in Lagos should read the WAT entry; those in Nairobi and Kampala need EAT, Johannesburg viewers need SAST, and Accra viewers need GMT.

For an evening broadcast, check the calendar date alongside the hour, particularly when sharing a viewing plan between Accra and East Africa. Use the listed kick off as the reference point; a programme's advertised start may include studio coverage beforehand. If a fixture is rescheduled, revisit its entry before arranging to watch Aina, since a saved reminder may retain the earlier time.

The Super Eagles fixtures module also lists Nigeria kick off times across WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT. Meetings with Ghana's Black Stars and South Africa's Bafana Bafana connect Aina's international career with opponents familiar to readers across the region. Explore the African footballers hub for more Super Eagles defenders and other African players in Europe.