Eniola Aluko

Early life

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Aluko moved with her family to Birmingham in the West Midlands region of England at age one. She grew up playing football with her brother Sone Aluko and his friends. She also played other sports, including tennis.

Aluko started her career at Leafield Athletic Ladies and subsequently played for Birmingham City Ladies' youth team under manager Marcus Bignot with future England teammate, Karen Carney. She scored on her Birmingham team debut against Leeds United, aged just 14.

Birmingham City, 2001–2004

On 7 April 2002, 15-year-old Aluko played for Birmingham in the FA Women's Premier League Cup Final at Adams Park, as the young Birmingham team lost 7–1 to professional Fulham. City did win promotion as Northern Division champions to the Premier League National Division in 2001–02. Her goalscoring during the following 2002–03 Premier League season led Bignot to declare her "the Wayne Rooney of women's football".

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

Charlton Athletic, 2004–2007

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

During the 2003–04 season, Aluko appeared as a second-half substitute when Charlton was defeated by FA Women's Cup finalists Arsenal 3–0 at Loftus Road in May. and lost the Premier League National Division title to Arsenal on the last day of the season, having led the way for most of the season.

Aluko lifted the FA Women's Community Shield with Charlton in August 2004 after helping the team win. Her 41st minute set-up for Ann-Maire Heatherson provided the only goal in a 1–0 victory against Arsenal at Broadhall Way.

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

Aluko also played in the 2005 FA Women's Community Shield (4–0 defeat at the National Hockey Stadium), the 2005 FA Women's Premier League Cup Final (3–0 defeat at Griffin Park), and the 2007 FA Women's Cup Final (4–1 defeat at the City Ground), All three defeats were to Arsenal. Her assist to Katie Holtham in the second minute of the match gave Charlton the lead in the 2007 Final. She also won the London FA Women's Cup with Charlton twice in 2005 and 2006.

Chelsea, 2007–2009

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

WPS, 2009–2011

In October 2008, Aluko's playing rights were obtained by St. Louis Athletica who named her as a post-draft discovery player. She was the team's leading goal scorer during the league's inaugural season with six goals, and also led in assists with four, making her one of the main reasons Athletica was able to climb from a last place in the first two months of the season to a commanding second by the end. She missed the playoffs and the All-Star match due to national team duty.

When Saint Louis Athletica folded part way through the 2010 season, Aluko signed with Atlanta Beat. She was later traded to Sky Blue FC in December 2010.

Birmingham City, 2012

When the WPS went into abeyance for the 2012 season, Aluko had already decided to return to England. She signed for Birmingham City, describing them as "more stable".

In 2012, Aluko registered five goals and two assists in 17 FA WSL League and Cup appearances, as Birmingham City finished runners up to Arsenal in both competitions. City lost the 2012 FA WSL Cup Final to Arsenal 1–0 at Underhill Stadium on 10 October 2012. Birmingham did defeat Chelsea 3–2 on penalties, after it was 2–2 at the end of extra time, in the 2012 FA Women's Cup Final on 26 May 2012 at Ashton Gate to win the club's first major honour in its 44-year history. Aluko was introduced as a 63rd-minute substitute.

Chelsea, 2012–

After a single season at Birmingham, she resigned for Chelsea in December 2012. In her first season with the club, Aluko contributed 6 goals and 3 assists in 17 FA WSL League and Cup matches. Having had a poor season domestically, Chelsea reached the Final of the 2013 International Women's Club Championship, but lost 4–2 to INAC Kobe Leonessa. Aluko registered an assist in the Final and scored in the semi-final win against Sydney FC.

In 2014, Aluko scored seven times and provided one assist in 20 FA WSL League and Cup appearances. Aluko's Chelsea began the last day of the 2014 FA WSL season top of the league, 2 points ahead of Birmingham City and 3 points ahead of Liverpool, but a 2–1 defeat at Manchester City cost Chelsea the Super League title on goal difference.

Aluko was one of six nominations for the 2014–15 PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year, but lost out to her Chelsea team-mate Ji So-yun. She did win Chelsea Ladies' Player of the Year for 2014–15 and was selected in the 2015 PFA WSL Team of the Year.

In 2015, Aluko played in the first FA Women's Cup Final held at Wembley Stadium on 1 August 2015 in front of a record attendance of 30,710. Her Chelsea team defeated Notts County 1–0 to win the club's first major trophy in its history. Individually, Aluko was at the heart of Chelsea's win as she put in a Player-of-the-Match performance and provided the assist for Ji So-yun's 39th-minute winner.

England

Aluko was called into the England set-up at the age of 14. She chose to remain loyal to the English coaches who had given her the opportunity to play international football, but said: "The main thing for me is for people to understand that choosing to play for England doesn't mean that I don't support Nigeria. I'm as much Nigerian as I'm British. Of course Nigeria means a lot to me, it's part of me, but I've been brought up by English coaches."

Having represented England at Under-17 level, Aluko scored on her debut at Under-19 level and appeared in the UEFA Under-19 European Championship Finals in Germany in July 2003 while aged only 16 years. She later played at Under-21 level, before making her senior debut, aged 17, against the Netherlands in September 2004. Her first senior goal came against the Czech Republic at Walsall in May 2005, and she added two more in the 13–0 away win against Hungary that October.

Aluko played in UEFA Women's Euro 2005, despite a clash with her A-Level studies. She sat a history exam on the morning of England's 2–1 defeat to Denmark. In the final group game against Sweden Aluko almost scored a bizarre equaliser, but was left disappointed as hosts England lost 1–0 and exited the competition.

At the FIFA Women's World Cup 2007, Aluko featured in group matches against Japan and Argentina, as well as the 3–0 quarter-final defeat to the United States. After the tournament she was critical of FA and the level of financial support provided to England's top female players. Aluko featured much more prominently at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, scoring in the group match win over Russia and adding two more in the quarter-final victory over hosts Finland. She also provided an assist for Kelly Smith's opening goal in the semi-final against the Netherlands. In the final Aluko played on the left-wing as England lost out 6–2 to Germany in Helsinki.

Aluko netted against Switzerland in September 2010 as England qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011. During the final tournament, Aluko responded angrily to public criticism of her performance in the 1–1 draw with Mexico, in which she wasted multiple goalscoring opportunities. She was substituted at half–time in the following group match against New Zealand, and dropped to the bench for the final group match with Japan, playing the last half an hour of England's 2–0 win. Aluko was an unused substitute as England were eliminated by France at the quarter final stage.

As England qualified for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Aluko finished joint-top scorer in qualifying with 13 goals, which included her first hat-trick in a 10–0 thumping of Macedonia, and braces against Turkey and Ukraine. At the Finals tournament, Aluko started both of England's first two group matches, a 1–0 defeat to France and 2–1 defeat of Mexico. Having missed the last group match and the knockout stages, Aluko reappeared as a 61st-minute substitute in the third-place play-off with Germany. England defeated Germany for the very first time, 1–0 after extra time to win bronze medals.

Aluko has not been called up to the national team since May 2016. Earlier in 2016, she was paid £80,000 by the Football Association despite a barrister stating there was not sufficient evidence to Aluko's claims of racism and bullying by head coach Mark Sampson and other staff.

International goals for England

Great Britain

2012 Olympics

In June 2012, Aluko was named in the 18–player Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics . She made her Great Britain debut, in its first ever official fixture, in a friendly goalless draw with Sweden at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough on 20 July 2012, starting and playing the entire match.

At the Olympic football tournament, Aluko started all three groups matches, which included wins over New Zealand, Cameroon and in front of over 70,000 at Old Trafford, twice Olympic silver-medalists Brazil. Aluko won a penalty in the Brazil match, which Kelly Smith missed. Britain advanced to the quarter-finals as group winners. Aluko also started as Britain lost 2–0 to Canada in the quarter-finals, courtesy of two early goals, and ended hopes of at least reaching a match for an opportunity at a medal. Aluko had a strong appeal for a second-half penalty dismissed.

2016 Olympics

Despite England's third-place finish at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, which Aluko was a part of, earning Great Britain one of the three available European slots for the 2016 Rio Olympics, it was already decided Great Britain would not send a women's team to the event. It means Aluko may not add to her tally of five Great Britain caps, with participation at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics the next earliest available opportunity.

Personal life

While playing for England during Women's Euro 2005, Aluko took her A levels at Cadbury College, Birmingham. She subsequently went to study Law at Brunel University, where she graduated with a First class degree in 2008. In July 2009 it was announced that Aluko would spend the 2009–10 US off-season studying for the New York bar exam before taking a similar exam in England, her aim being to have an entertainment law practice in both England and the United States.

Her younger brother Sone plays for Reading and was an England youth international, but in May 2009 accepted a call-up to represent Nigeria. Her father is a former MP in Nigeria, while Bolaji Aluko, a chemical engineering professor, is her uncle.

In popular culture

As of November 2010, Aluko was an active contributor on Yin & Yang, a popular culture website. In September 2014, Aluko appeared on the BBC's football show, Match of the Day, the first first woman to appear as a pundit on the show. She was featured along with her national teammates in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series starting in FIFA 16, the first time women players were included in the game. In August 2016, she signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Under Armour and was the first woman athlete in the United Kingdom to do so.