Michael Olakigbe

Michael Oluwakorede Olakigbe (born 6 April 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Brentford.

Michael Olakigbe
Personal information
Full name Michael Oluwakorede Olakigbe[1]
Date of birth (2004-04-06) 6 April 2004
Place of birth England
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Brentford
Number 37
Youth career
Erith & Belvedere
East Soccer Base
0000–2018 Queens Park Rangers
2018–2022 Fulham
2022–2023 Brentford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Brentford 2 (0)
International career‡
2021–2022 England U18 9 (2)
2023– England U20 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:45, 13 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11:29, 18 October 2023 (UTC)

Olakigbe is a product of the Fulham and Queens Park Rangers academies and began his professional career with Brentford in 2022. He has been capped by England at youth level.

Club career

Early years

Following spells with Erith & Belvedere and the East Soccer Base and Queens Park Rangers academies,[3][4] Olakigbe joined the Fulham Academy in 2018.[5] He progressed through the ranks from U14 level to sign a scholarship deal at the end of the 2019–20 season.[6] He departed the club in July 2022.[7]

Brentford

On 29 July 2022, Olakigbe transferred to the B team at Premier League club Brentford and signed a four-year contract, with the option of a further year,[5] for an undisclosed fee.[7] Injured at the time of his arrival, Olakigbe made his B team debut in October 2022 and progressed sufficiently to be included in the first team squad for its mid-season training camp in Girona.[3] He made three friendly appearances during the period and trained with the first team during the 2022–23 season.[3][8][9] On 1 April 2023, Olakigbe won his maiden call into a first team matchday squad and he remained an unused substitute during a 3–3 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.[10] He made 9 appearances during the B team's 2022–23 Premier League Cup-winning campaign.[10][11]

Olakigbe was included in the first team group during the 2023–24 pre-season and made five friendly appearances,[12] scoring two goals.[13][14][15] He made his competitive debut for the club with a start in a EFL Cup second round shoot-out win over Newport County on 29 August 2023.[16]

International career

In March 2021, Olakigbe was called into an England U17 training camp and played in a hybrid friendly versus Watford U23 during the camp.[10][17] In September 2021, Olakigbe won his first U18 call-up to a training camp and friendly versus Wales.[18] He made his international debut as a half-time substitute for Samuel Mather during the 1–1 draw.[19] Olakigbe won 9 U18 caps and scored two goals during the 2021–22 season and was a part of the squad which emerged victorious in a four-nation tournament hosted in Zagreb in June 2022.[20]

On 1 September 2023, Olakigbe won his maiden call into the U20 squad, for a training camp at St George's Park.[21] One month later, he was called into the squad for the team's opening pair of Under 20 Elite League fixtures,[22] both of which he appeared in.[23][24]

Personal life

Olakigbe is of Nigerian descent.[2] He grew up in Bexleyheath and his mother runs the Pro Ballers football academy in the area.[3]

Career statistics
As of match played 7 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 2022–23[25] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023–24[16] Premier League 3 0 0 0 2 0 5 0
Career total 3 0 0 0 2 0 5 0
  1. Includes FA Cup
  2. Includes EFL Cup

Honours

Brentford B

References
  1. "2022/23 Premier League squad lists". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  2. Michael Olakigbe at WorldFootball.net
  3. "Olakigbe – Just getting started". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. "Confirmed : Talented Nigerian Winger Joins Premier League New Boys Fulham". All Nigeria Soccer – The Complete Nigerian Football Portal. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  5. "Michael Olakigbe joins Brentford B". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  6. "The Academy Cast Of 2020/21". Fulham FC. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  7. "Olakigbe Joins Brentford". Fulham FC. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  8. "Brentford 1 Celta Vigo 3". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  9. "Brentford 2 Wolfsburg 2". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  10. Michael Olakigbe at Soccerway. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  11. "Brentford B 2 Blackburn U21 1". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  12. "Michael Olakigbe: Chasing the Dream". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  13. "Highlights, report and reaction: Boreham Wood 1 Brentford 1". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  14. Michael Olakigbe at Premier League
  15. "Highlights, report and reaction: Brentford 0 Lille 0". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  16. "Games played by Michael Olakigbe in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  17. "International Call-Ups". Fulham FC. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  18. "International Call-Ups". Fulham FC. September 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  19. "England MU18s were held to a 1–1 draw by Wales in Newport". The Football Association. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  20. "England MU18s win four nations tournament". The Football Association. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  21. "Training camp squad selected for England MU20s". The Football Association. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  22. "England men's Elite League squad named". The Football Association. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  23. "Report: Romania 2–0 England's Elite League squad". The Football Association. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  24. "Report: England Elite League squad 1–2 Portugal". The Football Association. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  25. "Games played by Michael Olakigbe in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
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