How to Join a Football Club in Europe From Nigeria

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Are you an upcoming player in Nigeria with the dream of playing professional football in Europe? The perks of being a pro player in a European football club are numerous, ranging from competitive remuneration to the experience of playing in the most competitive football leagues and competitions. In this article, we’ll be discussing how to join a football club in Europe from Nigeria. Keep on reading to see how you can make your dream of playing football in Europe a reality.

How to Join a Football Club in Europe From Nigeria

How to join a football club in Europe from Nigeria would be discussed below: 

  • Through Scouting 

Although most scouts seeking players with talents for European clubs usually beam their searchlight in Europe, it is also possible to get scouted while playing football in Nigeria. As a young talent seeking to enhance the likelihood of being noticed by football scouts in Nigeria, you must get the necessary football training to develop your techniques, improve tactical awareness, and boost your physical attributes and overall behaviour. Joining a good local football team or a  football academy allows you to receive training from experienced coaches and develop your craft. 

In Nigeria, it is not unusual for football scouts to drop in during training sessions and game days to seek talents for specific clubs or a web of clubs they have contact with. As a young player aspiring to play professional football in Europe, you’ve got to consistently be at your best every time you play, because you never know who you might impress in the stands with the display of your abilities on the pitch. Your performance can get you invited for football trials in Europe or straight signing into a European football club. 

  • Through a Licensed Agent

As an upcoming footballer hoping to ply your trade in a European football club, connecting with a licensed football agent in Nigeria can be the break to achieving your dream.

Before you contact any licensed agent concerning joining a football club in Europe, you’ve got to do some assignments to improve your chances of getting positive feedback. It’s recommended to always record your on-pitch performance, whether during games, squad training sessions, or personal drills. Your recorded clips should capture your strengths in the position you play. These clips would then be sent via email as a pitch to football agents. 

As an upcoming footballer hoping to use a licensed football agent for your move to a European club, you need to be wary of dodgy agents who disguise themselves as genuine to dupe young talents and/or leave them stranded. Fortunately, we’ve provided a list of some of the licensed football agents in Nigeria you can trust to make your dreams of playing professional football in Europe a reality. These football agents can arrange for trials for you, as well as oversee negotiations of contracts and sponsorships when you eventually get signed. Below is a list of some licensed football agents in Nigeria and their email addresses: 

Visit this link for a list of all the licensed football agents in Nigeria https://www.thenff.com/nigeria-football-federation-list-of-intermediaries/ .

  • By Joining a Specialised Football Academy 

As an upcoming footballer wishing to play pro football in Europe, joining a specialised football academy in Nigeria can be the stepping stone to your goal. There are lots of football academies in Nigeria that are affiliated with European clubs to provide them with young talents. These specialised football academies have solid structures including professional coaches, good administrators, and scouting deals with European clubs.

Being part of any of these specialised football academies will offer you the opportunity to learn the basics of the European style of football, develop skills, have access to competitions, and much more. Numerous notable Nigerian football stars who played or are currently playing for European football clubs got their big break and the opportunity to showcase their talents as members of the football academies. They include but are not limited to Mikel John Obi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidebere Nwakali, Taiwo Awoniyi, Joseph Akpala, and Peter Odemwingie. 

These football academies may be established by football legends, European clubs, corporate organizations, private individuals, religious bodies, and even state governments. Below is a list of football academies in Nigeria with great prospects for youngsters wishing to play professional football in Europe: 

  • Pepsi Football Academy 
  • Papilo Football Academy (scouting deal with Leeds United) 
  • Juventus Academy Nigeria 
  • FC Barcelona Academy (FCBEscola) 
  • Ifeanyi Ubah Academy (scouting deal with West Ham FC)
  • Bolton Wanderers Football Academy 
  • Carat24 Football Academy (associated with Paris Saint Germaine – PSG)
  • Midtjylland F. C. Academy  
  • Buruj Sports Academy
  • Hoffnung International Football Academy 
  • Midas Football Academy 
  • The A S Roma Academy  
  • The International (Sports) Academy 
  • Lagos Tigers F. C. 
  • Kwara State Football Academy
  • Vandyke F. C. 

  • Contact European Clubs through Email 

This method might be the most unlikely route to joining a club in Europe from Nigeria, however, there are always exceptions. Before contacting any club in Europe by email, you must have recorded clips of yourself playing in a local competition or during personal training sessions. The video you would use to pitch yourself should highlight your strength in the position you’re advertising for. You may need to add photo evidence of yourself with a medal of recognition for individual performance in a local tournament. 

With the evidence of your performance sorted out, you’ll need to scour the internet and social media for official email addresses of football clubs in Europe, then proceed to pitch yourself and show the evidence of your abilities. To enhance the chance of getting a response, you would want to contact clubs in lower divisions in Europe as bigger clubs might prove to be an uphill task. Send emails to as many clubs as possible and you might just get a callback for trials or signing. 

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