Ola Aina nominated for Premier League Fan Team of the Season amid fierce competition

By Monsurah Olatunji

Super Eagles full-back Ola Aina has been nominated for the Premier League Fan Team of the Season for the 2024/25 campaign, following a standout year with Nottingham Forest.

The 28-year-old Nigeria international has been widely praised for his consistency, versatility, and reliability throughout the season. His strong performances have even reportedly drawn interest from Premier League champions Manchester City, who view him as a potential long-term successor to Kyle Walker.

Aina was a mainstay in Nottingham Forest’s defense, starting 35 of the club’s 38 league matches—a remarkable 92% appearance rate. His contributions on both ends of the pitch included two goals and one assist, while maintaining a clean disciplinary record with just five yellow cards and no red cards.

His versatility has also been an asset for the Nigerian national team, regularly deployed on either flank. One notable international moment this season came when he delivered a pinpoint cross that led to Victor Osimhen’s goal against Zimbabwe during a World Cup qualifier.

Despite his impressive credentials, Aina faces tough competition for a place in the Fan Team of the Season. In the right-back category, he is up against Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool); Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace); Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur); and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United).

Additionally, had he been listed as a left-back, the competition would have been no less intense, with nominees including Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolverhampton Wanderers); Marc Cucurella (Chelsea); Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City); Milos Kerkez (AFC Bournemouth); and Antonee Robinson (Fulham).

The final selection will be determined entirely by fan votes, with polling set to close at 23:59 on Thursday, May 29th.

Aina’s nomination is a significant milestone in what has been a breakthrough season, both for club and country. With fan support, he could earn a place in one of the most coveted end-of-season honors in English football.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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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