Eniola Aluko

At 37 years old, Eniola Aluko has this physical status:

Club career

In the FA Women's Premier League Cup Final at Adams Park on April 7, 2002, the 15-year-old Aluko played for Birmingham. In 2001–02, City won promotion as the champions of the Premier League National Division in the Northern Division. Bignot called her "the Wayne Rooney of women's football" during her goalscoring in the 2002–03 Premier League season.

In 2003, Aluko was named Young Player of the Year at The FA Women's Football Awards.

Aluko left Birmingham to join Charlton Athletic in January 2004. In March 2004, Charlton defeated Fulham 1–0 to win the FA Women's Premier League Cup at Underhill Stadium.

Aluko was a second-half replacement when Charlton lost the FA Women's Cup final to Arsenal, 3–0 at Loftus Road in May. Charlton lost the Premier League National Division title to Arsenal on the last day of the season, after leading the way for the majority of the season.

After helping the team win, Aluko lifted the FA Women's Community Shield with Charlton in August 2004. In a 1–0 win over Arsenal at Broadhall Way, Ann-Marie Heatherson's 41st minute set-up was the winner.

In the 2005 FA Women's Cup Final at Upton Park, Pace was considered one of her attributes, and it was evident when she sprinted onto a through ball from Emma Coss to score the winning goal. In the Final, Charlton defeated Everton 1–0. In Charlton's 2–1 victory over Arsenal in the 2006 FA Women's Premier League Cup Final at Adams Park, Aluko scored two goals in the first half of the FA Women's Premier League Cup Final at Adams Park.

The 2005 FA Women's Community Shield (4–0 loss at Griffin Park) and the 2007 FA Women's Cup Final (4–1 loss at the City Ground) were both defeated by Arsenal in the 2005 FA Women's Premier League Cup Final. Charlton's lead was taken in the 2007 FA Women's Cup Final thanks to Katie Holtham in the second minute of the match. She also won the London FA Women's Cup with Charlton twice in 2005 and 2006.

Aluko joined Chelsea Ladies in July 2007, following the withdrawal of funds for the Charlton women's team by the parent club.

Aluko's playing rights were obtained by St. Louis Athletica, who announced her as a post-draft discovery player in October 2008. During the season's inaugural season, she scored six goals and four assists, making her one of the team's top goal scorers and the team's top goal scorer. Due to national team service, she missed the playoffs and the All-Star game.

Aluko signed with Atlanta Beat when Saint Louis Athletica folded part of the 2010 season. She was then sold to Sky Blue FC in December 2010.

Aluko had already decided to return to England when the WPS went into suspension for the 2012 season. She referred to Birmingham City as "more stable" and said they were "more secure."

In 17 FA WSL and Cup appearances in 2012, Aluko scored five goals and two assists, while Birmingham City finished runners up to Arsenal in both competitions. On October 10, 2012, City lost the 2012 FA WSL Cup Final to Arsenal 1–0 at Underhill Stadium. Birmingham defeated Chelsea 3–2 on penalties after losing the 2012 FA Women's Cup Final to Ashton Gate on May 26, 2012, defeating the club's first major title in the club's 44-year history. Aluko was introduced as a 63rd-minute substitute.

She re-signed for Chelsea in December 2012 after a single season with Birmingham. Aluko scored six goals and three assists in 17 FA WSL League and Cup matches in her first season with the club. Chelsea had a poor season on the ground but lost 4–2 to INAC Kobe Leonessa in the invitational 2013 International Women's Club Championship final. In the semi-final victory over Sydney FC, Aluko scored an assist and scored.

In 20 FA WSL and Cup appearances in 2014, Aluko scored seven times and gave one assist. Chelsea began the 2014 FA WSL season on Sunday, two points ahead of Birmingham City and three points ahead of Liverpool, but Chelsea's 2–1 loss to Manchester City cost Chelsea the Super League Championship by goal difference.

Aluko received six PFA Women's Player of the Year awards in 2014-2015, but she lost out to Chelsea teammate Ji So-yun. She was named in the 2015 PFA WSL Team of the Year for 2014–15, and she did win Chelsea Ladies' Player of the Year for 2014–15.

Aluko competed in the first FA Women's Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on August 1, 2015, with a record audience of 30,710. Chelsea's first major trophy in the club's history defeated Notts County 1–0 to win the club's first major trophy in its history. Aluko was at the forefront of Chelsea's victory, putting in a Player-of-the-Match appearance and assisting Ji So-yun's 39th-minute winner.

Aluko's role in the team was diminished after Chelsea signed Fran Kirby and Ramona Bachmann. Aluko would receive a free transfer from Chelsea as the 2017–18 season came to an end on May 16, 2018. She marked her final appearance by scoring and making occasional appearances, mainly as a late replacement, on the team that remained undefeated throughout the entire league season.

On June 6, 2018, Aluko signed for Serie A club Juventus. However, she spoke out about negative experiences in the city, calling it "decades behind" and saying she had been made to look like Pablo Escobar at times at Turin airport.

Aluko revealed in November 2019 that she would leave Juventus after 18 months with the club, citing her time at the club as one of "great success and a lot of learning." She returned to Britain in December after winning Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana, as well as being Juventus' top scorer for last season. Aluko announced her retirement from professional football on January 15, 2020.

International career

Aluko was called into the England squad as a 14-year-old. She decided to remain loyal to the English coaches who had given her the opportunity to play international football, but said, "the most important thing for me is for people to know that choosing to play for England doesn't mean that I don't support Nigeria." I'm as Nigerian as I am British. Of course, Nigeria means a lot to me; it's a part of me, but English coaches have brought me up."

Aluko made her debut at Under-19 level and appeared in the UEFA Under-19 European Championship Finals in Germany in July 2003, despite being only 16 years old, having represented England at Under-17 level. She appeared on Under-21 level for a short time before making her senior debut against the Netherlands in September 2004. In the 13–0 away victory over Hungary that October, she scored her first senior goal against the Czech Republic at Walsall in May 2005, and she added two more.

Despite a clash with her A-Level studies, Aluko participated in the UEFA Women's Euro 2005. On the morning of England's 2–1 loss to Denmark, she sat a history exam. In the last group game against Sweden Aluko, nearly equalized, but the hosts England lost 1–0 and dropped out of the competition.

Aluko played in group matches against Japan and Argentina, as well as the United States' 3–0 quarter-final loss. She was critical of The Football Association and the level of financial assistance to England's top female players after the tournament. In the quarter-final victory over hosts Finland, Aluko featured much more prominently at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, scoring in the group match victory over Russia and adding two more. Kelly Smith was also assisting in Kelly Smith's opening goal in the semi-final against the Netherlands. In the final, Aluko played the left-wing after England was defeated 6–2 by Germany in Helsinki.

England qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 after Aluko netted against Switzerland in September 2010. Aluko retaliate angrily against public criticism of her 1-1 draw with Mexico in which she missed numerous goalscoring opportunities during the final tournament. In the following group match against New Zealand, she was dismissed at halftime and then pushed to the bench for the final group match with Japan, when England defeated Japan by 2–0. At the quarter final stage, Aluko was an unused substitute as England was sacked by France.

Aluko finished as the joint top scorer in qualifying, with 13 goals, including her first hat-trick in Montenegro's 10–0 thraging of Montenegro, as England qualified for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Aluko started both of England's first two group matches, a 1–0 loss to France and a 2–1 victory over Mexico in the Finals tournament. Aluko returned to action in the third-place play-off with Germany after missing the last group match and the knockout stages. England defeated Germany for the first time, 1–0, after extra time to win bronze medals.

Since May 2016, Aluko was not invited to the national team. The Football Association paid her £80,000. Following a third probe, the Football Association later apologised to Aluko at the select committee hearing of the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (with several DCMS MPs urging for relevant FA officials to resign over the investigation). Aluko served as a pundit for Channel 4 at the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 Olympics.

When England's entire team, led by black forward Nikita Parris, roared to praise with coach Sampson after losing to Russia in their next match, Aluko publicly chastised her former colleagues, accusing them of selfishness, lack of admiration, and diversity training. Parris later apologised to Aluko in an open letter in June 2020, acknowledging that the coach Sampson's birthday was a "thoughtless act" that showed a lack of empathy, knowledge, and ignorance.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, England right-back Lucy Bronze wondered if Aluko was still good enough to be in England's squad. Aluko was both surprised and dissatisfied with the lack of funding for her position among England's current players. Evidence of Aluko's "negative" conduct had been obtained by the FA, which also included an assault on an unidentified colleague. Phil Neville, Sampson's replacement as England coach, did not choose Aluko.

Aluko was selected in the 18-player Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics in June 2012. She made her Great Britain debut in a friendly goalless draw with Sweden at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough on July 20, 2012, starting and playing the entire match.

Aluko appeared in all three group matches, winning over New Zealand, Cameroon, and in front of over 70,000 people at Wembley, twice Olympic silver medalists Brazil. In the Brazil match, Aluko earned a penalty, but Kelly Smith missed it. The winners of the group's qualifying round advanced to the quarter-finals. Aluko got off to a good start in the quarter-finals after losing 2–0 to Canada, sparking two early goals, and the loss of a chance of winning a medal has sparked. Aluko's appeal for a second-half penalty was dismissed with a convincing argument.

Despite England's third-place finish at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, which Aluko was a participant in, earning Great Britain one of the three available European slots for the 2016 Rio Olympics, it had already been confirmed that Great Britain would not send a women's team to the event. Aluko did not add to her tally of five Great Britain caps with her appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the first time she had.

Executive career

Aluko was appointed as the head of women's football at Aston Villa in January 2020, a week after stepping down from professional football.

Aluko was the sporting director of Los Angeles-based Angel City FC in May 2021, ahead of their inaugural season in the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Angela Hucles became the club's general manager in August 2022, after she moved to the role of director of recruitment.

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