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Michael Olakigbe

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Michael Olakigbe
Personal information
Full name Michael Oluwakorede Olakigbe[1]
Date of birth (2004-04-06) 6 April 2004 (age 20)[2]
Place of birth Lambeth, England[3]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[4]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Wigan Athletic
(on loan from Brentford)
Number 11
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 8 (0)
2024 → Peterborough United (loan) 5 (0)
2024– → Wigan Athletic (loan) 4 (0)
International career‡
2021–2022 England U18 9 (2)
2023– England U20 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:58, 8 October 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11:29, 18 October 2023 (UTC)

Michael Oluwakorede Olakigbe (born 6 April 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL League One club Wigan Athletic, on loan from Premier League club Brentford.

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

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Early years

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Following spells with Erith & Belvedere and the East Soccer Base and Queens Park Rangers academies,[5][6] Olakigbe joined the Fulham Academy in 2018.[7] He progressed through the ranks from U14 level to sign a scholarship deal at the end of the 2019–20 season.[8] He departed the club in July 2022.[9]

Brentford

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2022–23

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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,[7] for an undisclosed fee.[9] 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.[5] He made three friendly appearances during the period and trained with the first team during the 2022–23 season.[5][10][11] 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.[12] He made 9 appearances during the B team's 2022–23 Premier League Cup-winning campaign and scored seven goals overall during the season.[12][13][14]

2023–24 and loan to Peterborough United

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Olakigbe was included in the first team group during the 2023–24 pre-season and made five friendly appearances,[12][15] scoring two goals.[16] 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.[12][17] Thereafter, Olakigbe was included in the majority of Brentford's matchday squads and he made 11 substitute appearances through to mid-January 2024.[13] During his run of appearances, Olakigbe signed a new 4+1⁄2-year contract, with the option of a further year.[18] On 30 January 2024, he joined League One club Peterborough United on loan until the end of the 2023–24 season.[19] During a spell interrupted by suspension and injury,[20][21] Olakigbe made just five appearances and was not involved in the club's unsuccessful playoff campaign.[22]

2024–25 and loan to Wigan Athletic

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On 29 May 2024, Olakigbe joined League One club Wigan Athletic on loan for the duration of the 2024–25 season.[23] In early July, an "innocuous challenge" during a practice match at the club's pre-season training camp resulted in Olakigbe missing the first six weeks of the regular season with a fractured fibula.[24][25][26]

International career

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Olakigbe is eligible to represent England or Nigeria at international level.[12] In March 2021, Olakigbe was called into an England U17 training camp and played in a hybrid friendly versus Watford U23 during the camp.[13][27] In September 2021, he won his first U18 call-up to a training camp and friendly versus Wales.[28] He made his international debut as a half-time substitute for Samuel Mather during the 1–1 draw.[29] Olakigbe won nine 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.[30]

On 1 September 2023, Olakigbe won his maiden call into the U20 squad, for a training camp at St George's Park.[31] One month later, he was called into the squad for the team's opening pair of Under 20 Elite League fixtures,[32] both of which he appeared in.[33][34]

Personal life

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Olakigbe is of Nigerian descent.[4] He grew up in Bexleyheath and his mother runs the Pro Ballers football academy in the area.[5]

Career statistics

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As of match played 8 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 2022–23[35] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 ― 0 0
2023–24[17] Premier League 8 0 2 0 2 0 ― 12 0
Total 8 0 2 0 2 0 ― 12 0
Peterborough United (loan) 2023–24[17] League One 5 0 ― ― 0 0 5 0
Wigan Athletic (loan) 2024–25[36] League One 4 0 0 0 0 0 1[c] 1 5 1
Career total 17 0 2 0 2 0 1 1 22 1
  1. ^ Includes FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ Appearance in EFL Trophy

Honours

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Brentford B

References

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  1. ^ "2022/23 Premier League squad lists". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Michael Olakigbe". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Brentford – 2023/2024". FootballSquads. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b Michael Olakigbe at WorldFootball.net
  5. ^ a b c d "Olakigbe – Just getting started". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Confirmed : Talented Nigerian Winger Joins Premier League New Boys Fulham". All Nigeria Soccer – The Complete Nigerian Football Portal. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Michael Olakigbe joins Brentford B". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  8. ^ "The Academy Cast Of 2020/21". Fulham FC. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Olakigbe Joins Brentford". Fulham FC. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Brentford 1 Celta Vigo 3". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Brentford 2 Wolfsburg 2". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e Brace, Jack (8 November 2023). "Brentford's failed pursuit of diamonds unearths gem of their own in Michael Olakigbe". Vavel. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Michael Olakigbe at Soccerway. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Brentford B 2 Blackburn U21 1". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Highlights, report and reaction: Boreham Wood 1 Brentford 1". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Michael Olakigbe: Chasing the Dream". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  17. ^ a b c "Games played by Michael Olakigbe in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Michael Olakigbe signs new long-term contract". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Olakigbe makes Peterborough loan move". Brentford FC. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Peart-Harris and Portsmouth set the pace in League One". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Brentford pair to meet in League One play-offs". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Maghoma and Stevens set for play-off final showdown". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Olakigbe makes Wigan loan move". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Massive injury blow as new Wigan Athletic signing Michael Olakigbe ruled out for three months with broken leg". Wigan Today. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  25. ^ "Shaun Maloney | Accrington Stanley (A) Preview". Wigan Athletic FC. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Report: Wigan Athletic 0 Stevenage 0 – Olakigbe debut is highlight of frustrating night for Tics". Wigan Today. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  27. ^ "International Call-Ups". Fulham FC. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  28. ^ "International Call-Ups". Fulham FC. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  29. ^ "England MU18s were held to a 1–1 draw by Wales in Newport". The Football Association. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  30. ^ "England MU18s win four nations tournament". The Football Association. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  31. ^ "Training camp squad selected for England MU20s". The Football Association. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  32. ^ "England men's Elite League squad named". The Football Association. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  33. ^ "Report: Romania 2–0 England's Elite League squad". The Football Association. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  34. ^ "Report: England Elite League squad 1–2 Portugal". The Football Association. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  35. ^ "Games played by Michael Olakigbe in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  36. ^ "Games played by Michael Olakigbe in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
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