Eniola Aluko has spent the better part of three decades at the centre of football, first as a player who earned 102 caps for England, then as a sporting director, investor and one of the more prominent voices on the business of African football, Footynaija.com reports.
Born in Lagos to Nigerian parents, she moved to Birmingham at six months old, came through English football from the age of 14, and went on to represent England at three Women’s World Cups before retiring in January 2020.
In an interview with PUNCH, the 39-year-old opened up on identity, investment, the pain of not fully belonging abroad, and what the NFF must do differently.
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On her Nigerian roots, she was unambiguous.
“I was born in Nigeria. I have a Nigerian name. I didn’t change my name to something more English. My mom used to cook us Nigerian food. So, from a young age, I knew I was proud of being Nigerian. Every time I came back, I felt like I was connecting more and more.”
Her passion turns practical when she addresses what Nigeria must fix. Pointing to Brazil as the template, she described a league strong enough to keep talent, attract it back, and lift the national team simultaneously.
“Brazil have managed to create a league where the best talent leaves but then comes back. Neymar is there, Thiago Silva is there. I see similarities in what the Nigerian leagues can become, which will allow players to flourish, get picked for the national team, and both will rise.”
Asked whether she would take up an administrative role in Nigeria, she was open to it.
“There’s no point me having 20 years of experience in the US and the UK without bringing that value to Nigeria. For me, it’s less about what can you give me and more about what can I give Nigeria.”
She also addressed the emotional cost of representing a country where belonging is never fully guaranteed.
“For those of us in the diaspora, you never really fully feel accepted. When you don’t play well, you feel that sense of ‘you’re not one of us.’ I don’t think that happens if you play for Nigeria,” she said.
