Eni Aluko
Eniola Aluko MBE (born 21 February 1987) is a Nigerian-born British former professional footballer who played as a forward for the England women's national team, accumulating 102 caps and 33 goals from 2004 to 2016.[1][2] Born in Lagos and raised in Birmingham after her family relocated when she was an infant, Aluko combined her athletic career with qualifying as a solicitor, reflecting her multifaceted professional background.[3] At club level, she secured multiple domestic titles, including with Chelsea in the FA Women's Super League and Juventus in Serie A, before retiring in 2020.[4] Post-retirement, Aluko transitioned to broadcasting as a pundit for outlets like Sky Sports and ITV, becoming one of the first women to analyze men's football matches, and to executive roles, including as sporting director for Angel City FC and investor with Mercury 13 focused on women's football commercialization.[5][6] Her career is also defined by whistleblowing against the Football Association, where she alleged bullying, harassment, and racial discrimination by former England manager Mark Sampson—including a remark linking her heritage to the Ebola outbreak—which an independent review substantiated, leading to an £80,000 settlement, withheld payments amid disputes, and the FA's eventual apology for its chairman's related comments on her achievements being tied to race.[7][8] These events highlighted institutional handling of complaints in English women's football, prompting calls for independent investigations.[9]
Early life
Family background and relocation
Eniola Aluko was born on 21 February 1987 in Lagos, Nigeria, to Sileola Aluko and Daniel Aluko, a former member of the Nigerian parliament.[10][11] The family belonged to Nigeria's professional class, with her father having pursued a political career before the relocation. She has a younger brother, Sone Aluko, who later became a professional footballer representing Nigeria internationally.[10] At six months old, Aluko's family moved to Birmingham in the West Midlands region of England, where she was raised.[10] This early relocation facilitated her integration into British society from infancy, while her parents maintained ties to Nigerian culture, including linguistic and familial connections to their homeland; her father later returned to Nigeria to resume political activities.[11]Education and youth development
Aluko moved to Birmingham, England, at six months old with her family and attended local schools, where she balanced academic excellence with an emerging passion for football, often playing alongside her brother Sone and his friends.[11][12] Her youth football development began with Leafield Athletic Ladies, followed by time in the Birmingham City Ladies' youth team under manager Marcus Bignot, experiences that honed her skills amid other pursuits like tennis.[13] In 2005, while advancing in semi-professional football, Aluko commenced a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at Brunel University London, graduating in 2008 with first-class honours and demonstrating her ability to manage rigorous academics alongside athletic demands.[14][10][15]Club career
Birmingham City (2001–2004)
Eni Aluko joined Birmingham City Ladies in 2001 at age 14, debuting as a forward and scoring against Leeds United in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division.[16][17] This early entry positioned her among the youngest players to feature in English senior women's football, amid a semi-professional landscape with modest resources and physical intensity demanding quick adaptation from youth levels.[10] In the 2001–02 season, Aluko contributed to Birmingham's cup campaign, reaching the FA Women's Premier League Cup Final on 7 April 2002 at Adams Park, where they lost 1–7 to Fulham despite a semifinal upset over Doncaster Belles.[18] Her involvement at 15 underscored her development in handling senior competition, including league matches that honed her goalscoring instincts. The following 2002–03 season saw her prolific scoring draw acclaim from coach Marc Bignot, who likened her to "the Wayne Rooney of women's football," aiding Birmingham's push for mid-table solidity in the Northern Division.[16] Aluko remained with the club through 2004, building experience as a versatile attacker before departing for Charlton Athletic.[10]Charlton Athletic (2004–2007)
Aluko joined Charlton Athletic from Birmingham City in January 2004, transitioning to a prominent forward role in a team vying for domestic supremacy in the FA Women's Premier League. Her pace and finishing ability quickly integrated into Charlton's high-pressing attacking system, enabling versatile contributions across the front line, including wide runs and central strikes. This period marked her elevation to consistent first-team contention amid rising competition standards in English women's football.[19] In the 2004–05 season, Charlton secured runners-up position in the Premier League behind Arsenal, while Aluko delivered key performances, such as scoring in league fixtures against Everton and others. She capped the campaign by netting the solitary goal in the FA Women's Cup final on 2 May 2005, a 58th-minute strike that clinched a 1–0 win over Everton at Upton Park before 8,567 spectators, marking Charlton's first triumph in the competition after prior final defeats.[20][21] The following year, Aluko scored twice in the FA Women's Premier League Cup final on 12 March 2006, powering Charlton to a 2–1 victory against Arsenal and adding another trophy to the club's haul during its peak era. Her output included notable hauls like a hat-trick in a 7–2 league rout of Fulham in 2007, underscoring her role in sustaining Charlton's challenge against dominant rivals. These successes honed her tactical adaptability and exposure to pressurized matches, aligning with the era's professionalizing trends in the sport.[16][22]Chelsea (2007–2009)
Eni Aluko transferred to Chelsea Ladies in July 2007 after Charlton Athletic's parent club withdrew financial backing from the women's team, prompting several key players including Aluko, Casey Stoney, and Siobhan Chamberlain to join Chelsea.[23] This move aligned with Chelsea's efforts to bolster their squad in the FA Women's Premier League National Division amid growing investment in the professionalization of women's football in England.[24] Under manager Shaun Gore, Aluko adapted to a competitive environment, contributing to Chelsea's improved performances following a poor prior season. In the 2007–08 campaign, Chelsea finished fifth in the league, marking a step up from previous bottom-table finishes, with Aluko featuring in matches including scoring against Bristol Academy in November 2007.[25][26] She also played in the FA Women's Cup, though received a red card alongside Stoney in a January 2008 fourth-round win over Middlesbrough.[27] The 2008–09 season saw further progress under new manager Steve Jones, with Chelsea securing third place in the league, positioning them as contenders in the top tier.[28] Aluko scored a standout goal in the Women's Premier League Cup against Everton in October 2008, which was voted the league's goal of the month, highlighting her impact in cup competitions.[16] Her tenure ended in 2009 when she departed for the United States to join Women's Professional Soccer.[29]Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011)
In October 2008, Aluko's playing rights were allocated to Saint Louis Athletica as a post-draft discovery player for the inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), the first fully professional women's league in the United States, which offered salaried contracts and international exposure unavailable in the semi-professional English game at the time.[30] She made 19 appearances (17 starts) for Athletica in 2009, scoring 6 goals and providing 4 assists over 1,503 minutes, contributing to the team's second-place regular-season finish and playoff run.[31] Notable performances included a 44th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory over the Boston Breakers on June 7, 2009, and a late equalizer assisted by Shannon Boxx in a 2-2 draw against Sky Blue FC.[32][33] Athletica folded in May 2010 amid financial strain, after which Aluko transferred mid-season to the expansion Atlanta Beat, appearing in 14 matches (13 starts) with 5 goals over 1,102 minutes as the team finished seventh and last in the league standings.[31][34] Her output was hampered by occasional absences due to international duty and team instability, though she led Beat in goals that season.[35] In December 2010, Beat traded her—along with US national team players Lori Chalupny and Angie Kerr—to Sky Blue FC, where she played 15 matches (11 starts) in 2011, scoring 4 goals and 1 assist in 1,070 minutes during a season marked by broader league financial woes, including delayed payments and ownership disputes.[31][36] Across her WPS tenure, Aluko logged 54 appearances with 19 goals and 5 assists, adapting to a more athletic, transition-oriented American style that emphasized pace and physicality, which enhanced her tactical versatility despite the league's short lifespan and disruptions like team relocations and folds.[31] The WPS suspended operations in February 2012 following cumulative losses exceeding $30 million and failure to secure stable funding, prompting Aluko's premeditated return to England for greater career continuity ahead of the 2012 domestic season.[37][16]Birmingham City return (2012)
Following the suspension of operations in Women's Professional Soccer ahead of its 2012 season, Aluko returned to England and signed with Birmingham City L.F.C., citing the club as a more stable option.[16] This move marked a brief homecoming after three years in the United States, allowing her to reintegrate into the domestic game amid the inaugural FA Women's Super League (FA WSL). In 15 appearances for Birmingham during the period, Aluko scored four goals, contributing to the team's competitive performance.[38] Birmingham finished as runners-up in the FA WSL and achieved cup success by winning the 2012 Women's FA Cup, defeating Chelsea 2–2 (victory on penalties) in the final. Aluko was part of the squad that secured this triumph, as she later reflected on her involvement with the victorious team.[19][39] The stint served as a transitional phase, bridging her American experience with a subsequent return to Chelsea in December 2012 ahead of the next WSL campaign, during which she focused on regaining match sharpness in a familiar league environment.[40]Chelsea return (2012–2018)
Aluko rejoined Chelsea on 20 December 2012, following a brief return to Birmingham City.[29] In her initial season back, she contributed six goals and three assists across 17 FA Women's Super League (FA WSL) league and cup matches, helping the team secure the 2013–14 FA WSL title, Chelsea's first in the competition.[41] Her pace and finishing ability proved instrumental in the club's domestic dominance, with Aluko emerging as a regular starter under manager Emma Hayes. During the 2014–15 campaign, Aluko played a key role in Chelsea's FA Women's Cup victory, defeating Notts County 1–0 in the final on 1 August 2015, where her contributions supported the team's league and cup double aspirations amid the restructured WSL format. She scored 13 goals that year, earning recognition as Chelsea's top scorer.[42] In Europe, Chelsea advanced to the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals for the first time, defeating teams including Twente and Wolfsburg before elimination by Frankfurt, with Aluko featuring in the competition's knockout stages.[43] Aluko's form peaked in the 2015–16 season, where she finished as the FA WSL's leading goalscorer, bolstering Chelsea's title challenge.[29] She also received the club's Women's Player of the Year award for 2014–15.[41] By the 2017–18 season, Aluko had amassed over 100 appearances in her second stint, scoring more than 40 goals overall for the club during this period, and contributed to another double: the unbeaten FA WSL title and FA WSL Spring Cup.[29] Her final Chelsea appearance came in May 2018, where she scored in a title-clinching match, capping a tenure of sustained success that elevated Chelsea to consistent European contenders.[44] Aluko departed for Juventus that summer after 158 total appearances and 68 goals across both spells at the club.[29]Juventus (2018–2019)
Aluko joined Juventus Women on 6 June 2018, transferring from Chelsea to bolster the Italian club's squad amid their push for dominance in Serie A Femminile following their inaugural league title in the 2017–18 season.[45][46] Her signing brought international pedigree and goal-scoring expertise to a team integrating into the professionalized Italian women's game, where tactical discipline and defensive solidity characterize play.[47] In the 2018–19 Serie A season, Aluko featured in 22 league matches, starting 18 and accumulating 1,624 minutes while scoring 14 goals, directly aiding Juventus' retention of the Scudetto with a one-point margin over Fiorentina.[31] She netted in the decisive 3–0 win against Verona on 20 April 2019, underscoring her role in the club's early hegemony, which included back-to-back titles and elevated standards in the league.[48] Over her tenure, she tallied 15 goals across Serie A appearances, leveraging her forward instincts to exploit structured defenses.[49] Aluko departed Juventus in December 2019 after 18 months, having scored in key fixtures and adapted to the league's emphasis on possession and counter-attacks.[49] She retired from professional football on 15 January 2020 at age 32, citing a desire to exit at her career peak rather than prolong play amid shifting priorities.[50][51] This move marked the end of her playing career in Italy, where her contributions helped establish Juventus as a powerhouse in European women's football.[52]International career
England national team
Eni Aluko made her senior debut for the England women's national football team on 23 September 2004, substituting in a 4–1 friendly victory over the Netherlands at the age of 17.[53] She scored her first international goal on 26 May 2005 in a 1–0 friendly win against the Czech Republic at Bescot Stadium.[53] Over her career with the team from 2004 to 2016, Aluko accumulated 102 caps and 33 goals, establishing herself as a prolific forward known for her pace and finishing.[1] Aluko featured in three FIFA Women's World Cups (2007, 2011, 2015) and multiple UEFA Women's Euro tournaments, including 2009 and 2013, where England reached the final in 2009 as runners-up.[1] [54] In the 2009 Euros, she contributed three goals during the group stage and knockout rounds.[54] She also scored in the 2013 Euros, becoming one of few England players to net in multiple editions of the competition.[55] Her role evolved from a rotational squad player in early appearances to a consistent starter, particularly as a lone striker, exemplified by her deployment against France in the 2015 World Cup group stage, where her work rate was highlighted despite a 1–0 defeat.[56] Aluko's goal-scoring prowess was evident in qualification campaigns, where she topped England's charts with 11 goals in 12 matches during 2014.[57] For the 2015 World Cup qualifiers, she netted 13 goals, jointly leading the European scorers, including a hat-trick in a 10–0 rout of Montenegro on 17 September 2014 that secured England's perfect record.[58] These metrics underscored her efficiency, with a goals-per-game ratio improving in later years, reflecting tactical adaptations favoring her direct attacking style over broader squad rotations.[57]