Luton Town are playing in the Premier League for the first time after beating Coventry City on penalties in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium, earning a return to England’s top flight after a 31-year absence.
Playing in the Premiership will serve as a significant boost for the club’s earnings as the promotion is expected to be worth about £250m to the club – at a time when the Hatters have plans to move to build a new stadium.
The club hopes to move from Kenilworth Road to Power Court by 2026.
Labour Luton North MP Sarah Owen said: “Promotion is hugely important, not just for the football club but for our economy as a whole.”
BusinessDay looks at some Nigerians driving the Luton Club 2023/24 Premier League season.
Elijah Adebayo (Striker)
Tall and slim Luton Town striker Elijah Adebayo was born in England to Nigerian parents and is one of the enterprising names firing the Hatters in their Premier League side in their 2023/24 campaign.
The 25-year-old started his career at Fulham at the very tender age of o nine in 2016, went on loan to several clubs, and was finally released by Fulham at the end of the 2018/19 season. Following his release, he signed for Walsall in June 2019.
Adebayo, a versatile player who can also play from the defence line, got the attention of Walsall, a Championship side and was signed in the summer of 2019.
He had an outstanding two seasons with the Saddlers, where he contributed to 28 goals (23 goals, five assists) in 83 appearances for the championship side.
His impressive performance caught the attention of Luton Town, and he was signed for an undisclosed fee in 2021.
The Brent-born forward continued his impressive performance and banged an incredible 27 goals, contributed eight assists in 91 matches across all competitions for the Hatters and powered the team to the 2023/24 Premier League football.
So far, the 25-year-old eligible to represent Nigeria and England has scored four goals in 16 Premier League matches in the ongoing season and is one of the most reliable players for Rob Edwards.
Chiedozie Ogbene (Winger)
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Ogbene moved with his family to Ireland in 2005 and started his football career with a slight Irish club. Ogbene began his career in Ireland with Cork City and Limerick before transferring to Brentford in 2018. After a loan spell with Exeter City, he moved to Rotherham United in 2019 and then to Luton Town in 2023.
The 26-year-old right winger was one of the new recruitments for the Hatters and was signed in July 2023 on a free transfer.
The forward scored nine goals and assisted four times in all competitions in 2022/23 as Ogbene helped Rotherham United finish 19th in the Championship.
Ogbene became the first African player to represent the Republic of Ireland when he earned his first cap in June 2021 and has scored four goals in 15 games for the Boys in Green.
The Lagos-born in an integral part of Luton Town in their 2023/24 campaign, he contributed to two goals in 15 appearances across all competitions.
Gabriel Osho (Defender)
Gabriel Osho, born in Reading, UK is a defender of Nigerian descent and currently plays for Luton Town football club.
Osho can play both centre-back and right-back, having come through the ranks during a decade at the Madejski Stadium, having loan spells in Non-League football at Maidenhead United and Aldershot Town.
Osho joined the Hatters two months into the 2020/21 season, then moved to Yeovil Town on loan shortly after signing his contract at Kenilworth Road to build up some much-needed match fitness.
He went on to make his Hatters debut in the FA Cup third round win against his former club Reading and later in January, Osho signed for Rochdale on loan until the end of the season.
After impressing for the Hatters in the 2022/23 season, the club triggered an option for an extra year on Osho’s contract.
Osho was fundamental in the second half of 2022/23 and so far this season, Osho has made six Premier League appearances and scored one goal.
Dr Amos Ogunkoya (Team Doctor)
Dr Amos Ogunkoya, a 31-year-old Nigerian, made history when he was appointed the first team doctor of newly promoted Premier League side Luton Town FC, becoming the youngest first-team club doctor in England’s top-flight football.
Dr Amos, popularly called, attended Queen Mary University in London and holds a Masters degree in Sports and Exercise Medicine from the University of Manchester from 2010–2016. Dr Amos also played football for many years but qualified to become a Royal College of General Practitioners specialist last summer.
The current Luton Town doctor completed his general practice training at Tynemouth Medical Centre and worked as a locum general practitioner at Amwell Medical Practice from August 2022 until August 2023.
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