Nigeria's Aina makes Premier League history

by Staff Reporter

Sunday Dec 13, 2020. 12:00

Nigeria international Ola Aina has made history by winning the English Premier League (EPL) Goal of the Season for November 2020.

The full-back becomes the first player with a Nigerian passport to win the accolade since the award was introduced for the 2016/17 season.

Aina also becomes the latest Fulham player to win the award after his spectacular effort against West Bromwich Albion was voted the best in November.

The London-born player linked up with Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Aleksandar Mitrovic before firing a ferocious shot into the top-left corner from outside the penalty area.

“It was a good strike!” Aina said of his goal on the official Premier League website. https://www.premierleague.com/news/1931701

“It came on to my left and I just felt comfortable to strike it as hard as I could. “It was good for the team. It lifted our spirits and we’ll try to build on that.”

According to the website, Aina’s goal was chosen by a panel of experts combined with a public vote, beating seven other contenders.

Aina is currently on loan at Fulham from Italian Serie A club Torino and the initial season-long loan deal has an option to make the deal permanent.

The 24-year-old, who started his career at English giants Chelsea, has represented England at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 and England under-20 levels.

Aina pledged his international future to Nigeria and obtained a Nigerian passport in preparation to making the switch from England to Nigeria in May 2017.

He has played 17 international matches for Nigeria.