Nigeria international, Ola Aina has revealed he almost joined Tottenham Hotspur as a youngster, but the club left him and his father waiting for nearly five hours on the day he was supposed to sign before they eventually gave up and walked away.
The 28-year-old Nottingham Forest right-back disclosed that the North London club’s handling of his potential signing completely put him off, leading to his eventual move to Chelsea’s academy instead.
Speaking on the 90s baby show, Aina recounted the frustrating experience that could have changed the entire trajectory of his career.
“I was at Spurs (Tottenham), training and training. Then, they told me that they were going to sign me on a particular day after the training,” Aina said.
“The time comes, we go into an office and me and my dad are told to sit. We sat there one hour, two hours, almost five hours. I was already complaining to my dad that I was hungry. My dad told me to go into the office. But we just got fed up and left. They never said anything to us after that.”
Following the Tottenham disappointment, Aina joined Chelsea’s academy in 2013 and worked his way up through the ranks. However, he failed to establish himself in the senior team at Stamford Bridge.
The England-born defender spent loan spells at Hull City and Torino before Chelsea eventually sold him permanently to the Italian club in 2019.
Aina later alternated between Torino and Fulham before finally settling at Nottingham Forest last year, where he has established himself as an important player at the City Ground following impressive performances last season and was nominated for the Premier League Team of The Season.
The Super Eagles star will face additional challenges next season as Forest prepare for European competition.
The Tricky Trees finished seventh in the Premier League and will participate in the UEFA Europa League after Crystal Palace, who won the FA Cup, were relegated to the Conference League due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.
Aina, who has never played in the Europa League, will relish the opportunity to test himself on the continental stage as Forest embark on their European adventure.
Credit: punchng.com
