# Ola Aina
**Ola Aina** (Temitayo Olufisayo Olaoluwa Aina, born 1996) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defender, primarily at right-back, for Premier League club Nottingham Forest and the Nigeria national team. Born in [Southwark](https://www.edgepedia.org/southwark), London, to Nigerian parents, he came through the Chelsea academy, won two FA Youth Cups and two [UEFA Youth League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-youth-league) titles there, and later played in Serie A for Torino before joining Forest in 2023.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | Temitayo Olufisayo Olaoluwa Aina, born 1996, Southwark, London[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ola-aina/profil/spieler/236490) |
| Current club | Nottingham Forest, No. 34, joined as a free agent in September 2023; contract runs to 30 June 2028[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/) • [1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ola-aina/profil/spieler/236490) |
| Chelsea record | Six senior appearances in 2016/17; two FA Youth Cups and two UEFA Youth League titles in the academy[3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino) |
| Torino | Loan in 2018/19 with 32 appearances and one goal, then permanent; 40 league appearances across 2021–2023[3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino) • [4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4229/ola-aina/career) |
| Nigeria | Senior debut in 2017 in a World Cup qualifying win over Zambia; 34 caps and 2 assists for Nigeria from 2018 to 2026[3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino) • [5](https://theanalyst.com/players/4229/ola-aina/national/career) |
| AFCON 2023 | Named in the official team of the tournament as Nigeria reached the final, losing to hosts Ivory Coast[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/) |
## Early career and Chelsea
Aina joined Chelsea as an Under-11 and progressed through the academy, where he won two FA Youth Cups and two UEFA Youth League titles[3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino). He began as a right winger before moving into defense, establishing himself as a mobile full-back capable of playing on either side or occasionally at center-back[3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino).
He made his senior debut in a League Cup win over Bristol Rovers in August 2016 under [Antonio Conte](https://www.edgepedia.org/antonio-conte), and made six appearances that season, including three as a substitute in the club's Premier League title campaign[3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino).
## Loans and Torino
Aina spent 2017/18 on loan at Hull City in the Championship, making 44 league appearances[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4229/ola-aina/career). That same season, Aina earned his first cap for Nigeria's senior side, appearing in a World Cup qualifier that the country won against Zambia.[3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino)
He then joined Torino on loan for 2018/19, making 32 [Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a) appearances and scoring once, and Torino exercised an option to make the transfer permanent[3](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino). Torino played a back three for much of his time there, giving him years of experience as a wing-back[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/). A season-long loan at Fulham followed in 2020/21, in which he made 31 Premier League appearances and scored twice[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4229/ola-aina/career). He left Torino as a free agent in the summer of 2023[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/).
## Nottingham Forest
After a period without a club, Aina signed for Nottingham Forest in September 2023[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/). He became a fixture as Forest established themselves in the Premier League and was a regular in the side that produced the club's best top-flight finish in decades in 2024/25[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/). Through the 2026/27 season he had made 79 Forest appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4229/ola-aina/career).
His playing profile is distinctive: he is naturally left-footed but has spent most of his Forest career at right-back, allowing him to come inside onto his stronger foot to cross or switch play[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/). His game is built on recovery pace and defending large spaces one-on-one, and going forward he is a ball carrier more than a volume crosser[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/).
## International career
Aina represented England at youth level before switching allegiance to Nigeria, making his senior debut for the Super Eagles in 2017[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/). He has since become a mainstay of the national side, with 34 appearances for Nigeria between 2018 and 2026[5](https://theanalyst.com/players/4229/ola-aina/national/career).
Aina's finest hour with the national team arrived at the 2024 [Africa Cup of Nations](https://www.edgepedia.org/africa-cup-of-nations), hosted by [Ivory Coast](https://www.edgepedia.org/ivory-coast) early that year, as Nigeria made it to the final only to be beaten by the host nation, and he was selected for the competition's official team of the tournament[2](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/).
## References
1. [Ola Aina profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ola-aina/profil/spieler/236490)
2. [Ola Aina Nottingham Forest: the No.34 explained, NottinghamForest.Football](https://nottinghamforest.football/2026/09/10/ola-aina-nottingham-forest-profile/)
3. [Ola Aina to sign for Torino, Chelsea FC](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/ola-aina-to-sign-for-torino)
4. [Ola Aina Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/4229/ola-aina/career)
5. [Ola Aina International Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/4229/ola-aina/national/career)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of Africa › West African footballers › Nigerian footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license