Damola Ajayi: 18yo forward named in Tottenham's gameday squad for the first time in win v Ferencvaros

Promising London-born Nigerian forward Damola Ajayi was picked in the gameday squad by manager Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham Hotspur secured a 2-1 win against Ferencvaros to maintain their one hundred percent record in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening.

As previously reported, for the first time in his career, Ajayi was named in a matchday squad as he joined the first team on their trip to Budapest for this evening’s showdown against the Hungarian powerhouse.

However, the talented teenager has to wait to make his competitive debut for his boyhood club as he was an unused substitute, with Postecoglou opting to use only four of his substitutes including Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke.

Ajayi had a breakout season in 2023-2024, recording 24 goal contributions (16 goals and 8 assists) across 30 appearances in the U18 Premier League, Premier League 2, FA Youth Cup, and EFL Trophy.

If the 18-year-old had come off the bench for his European debut, he would have donned the number 63 shirt.

Ajayi will be aiming to emulate four players of Nigerian descent Josh Onomah, Luke Amos, Jonathan Obika and Timothy Eyoma, who rose through the youth ranks to make their first team debuts for Tottenham.

With Ajayi watching on from the bench,  Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson found the net to give Tottenham a two-goal lead with four minutes remaining, but Ferencvaros pulled one back through Barnabás Varga in the 90th minute.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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