Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo reconnects with Nigerian roots During homecoming visit

By Dayo Awoniyi

Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo has embraced his Nigerian heritage during a recent visit to the country, highlighting deep family ties to both Lagos and Ekiti States.

Speaking on Arise TV during his stay in Lagos, the 27-year-old centre-back revealed plans to visit Ekiti to explore his maternal roots.

“My mum is from Ekiti. Our plan is to go there and look around where my mum was raised and lived,” Adarabioyo said. “My brother will know better than me—my dad is from Lagos.”

Born in London and raised in Manchester, Adarabioyo joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024 after a successful spell at Fulham. Eligible to represent Nigeria internationally, the towering defender’s homecoming has further fueled discussions around his potential future with the Super Eagles.

During the interview, he also spoke about his close friendship with Chelsea and England teammate Cole Palmer, with whom he shares a strong Manchester upbringing.

“I was born in London but raised in Manchester. Cole is also from Manchester; we both played in the Manchester City academy. We have a lot of mutual friends,” he said.

“So, when we joined up at Chelsea again, it was a natural connection. He’s like my little brother, and I’m his big brother. We have an amazing relationship.”

Looking ahead to the 2025/2026 season under new manager Enzo Maresca, Adarabioyo expressed a strong desire to help Chelsea compete for major honours.

“Obviously, when you look long-term, I want to have won everything,” he said. “But as a footballer, you have to focus on the moment and the upcoming year. That’s my target now—to play as well as we can and win as much as possible.”

Adarabioyo’s visit not only marks a personal journey of cultural reconnection but also serves as a symbolic bridge between his European football career and his Nigerian identity.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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