By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigeria-eligible Marvin Ekpiteta has completed a permanent move to MK Dons from Scottish side Hibernian in a transfer subject to EFL, FA, and international clearance. The transfer fee was not disclosed.
The 29-year-old centre-back returns to England after spending the past season in Scotland, where he featured in Hibernian’s squad during their Europa League qualifying campaign.
Before his time in Edinburgh, Ekpiteta made 143 appearances over four seasons with Blackpool, contributing 12 goals and three assists. He was a key figure in Blackpool’s promotion to the Championship in the 2020/21 season and was named the club’s Player of the Season.
Speaking to the media after his move, Ekpiteta said, “I’m happy to be here and looking forward to the new challenge ahead. It’s an exciting club to be part of. I didn’t play as much as I’d have liked last year, so I want to play regular football again.”
“I’ve played at different levels, and I know what it takes to push on and get us out of this league. I feel I bring experience and strong qualities to the team. The signings the club is making are positive, so I’m happy to be on board.”
Ekpiteta’s arrival adds valuable experience to MK Dons as they prepare for the new campaign.
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.
