Ola John
{{short description|Dutch association football player}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Ola John
|image = Ola John.JPG
|caption = John with Twente in 2011
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|5|19|df=y}}
|birth_place = Zwedru, Liberia
|height = 1.80 m
|position = Left winger
|currentclub = Al-Arabi
|clubnumber = 11
|youthyears1 = 1998–2002 | youthclubs1 = DES Nijverdal
|youthyears2 = 2002–2010 | youthclubs2 = Twente
|years1 = 2010–2012 | clubs1 = Twente | caps1 = 46 | goals1 = 9
|years2 = 2012–2018 | clubs2 = Benfica | caps2 = 55 | goals2 = 3
|years3 = 2014 | clubs3 = → Hamburger SV (loan) | caps3 = 8 | goals3 = 0
|years4 = 2015–2016 | clubs4 = → Reading (loan) | caps4 = 28 | goals4 = 4
|years5 = 2016–2017 | clubs5 = → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | caps5 = 2 | goals5 = 0
|years6 = 2017 | clubs6 = → Deportivo La Coruña (loan) | caps6 = 11 | goals6 = 0
|years7 = 2018 | clubs7 = Benfica B | caps7 = 1 | goals7 = 1
|years8 = 2018–2020 | clubs8 = Vitória Guimarães | caps8 = 42 | goals8 = 1
|years9 = 2020–2021 | clubs9 = RKC Waalwijk | caps9 = 23 | goals9 = 2
|years10 = 2021–2023 | clubs10 = Al-Hazem | caps10 = 55 | goals10 = 26
|years11 = 2023– | clubs11 = Al-Arabi | caps11 = 23 | goals11 = 8
|nationalyears1 = 2009 |nationalteam1 = Netherlands U17 |nationalcaps1 = 3 |nationalgoals1 = 1
|nationalyears2 = 2010–2011 |nationalteam2 = Netherlands U19|nationalcaps2 = 9 |nationalgoals2 = 3
|nationalyears3 = 2011–2014 |nationalteam3 = Netherlands U21 |nationalcaps3 = 15 |nationalgoals3 = 1
|nationalyears4 = 2013 |nationalteam4 = Netherlands |nationalcaps4 = 1 |nationalgoals4 = 0
|club-update = 09:39, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
|nationalteam-update = 6 February 2014
}}
Ola John (born 19 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays for Al-Arabi as a left winger. Born in Liberia, he has represented the Netherlands national team.
A product of FC Twente's youth system, he played with their first team from 2010 to 2012 before joining S.L. Benfica. Amid a 2014 loan to Hamburger SV for half a season, he played regularly at Benfica in the seasons of 2012–13 and 2014–15. Afterwards, he was loaned out to Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Deportivo de La Coruña. After playing only one match with Benfica's reserve team in 2017–18, he moved to Vitória for the upcoming season.
Internationally, John gained one cap for the Netherlands national team in 2013.
Club career
=Twente=
The 2011–12 season was the big breakthrough for John at Twente, as he got a starting place from Co Adriaanse at the start of the season, and did not lose that even with competition for the left forward position, as Nacer Chadli returned from injury. He also topped the UEFA Europa League group stage assist rankings with six assists.{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/139547/ola-john?cc=5901 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909050522/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/139547/ola-john?cc=5901 |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 September 2012 |title=Ola John |publisher= ESPN FC |access-date=11 September 2012}}{{cite web | url = https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0254-0d7d3105042d-1893a3cd0564-1000--john-coming-on-strong-at-twente/ | title = John coming on strong at Twente | first = Berend | last = Scholten | publisher = UEFA | date = 28 November 2011 | access-date = 29 March 2014}} In Twente's home match in the Europa League against Odense BK on 3 November, John provided all three assists in a 3–2 win.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/01f7-0ea3c2f63d76-7d3fa8811b9e-1000--ob-make-twente-work-hard-for-early-progress/ |title= OB make Twente work hard for early progress | publisher = UEFA | date = 3 November 2011 | access-date = 29 March 2014}} John was influential in the Eredivisie campaign as well, netting two goals in a 6–2 victory over FC Utrecht on 4 December 2011.{{cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=321790&cc=5901 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715222149/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=321790&cc=5901 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 July 2012 |title=Report: FC Utrecht v Twente Enschede |publisher= ESPN FC | date = 4 December 2011 | access-date = 29 March 2014}}
=Benfica and loans=
On 24 May 2012, John signed for Portuguese club Benfica on a five-year deal which included a €45 million release clause{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en-my/news/3956/transfer-zone/2012/05/25/3124648/official-benfica-sign-ola-john-from-twente |title=Official: Benfica sign Ola John from Twente |publisher=Goal.com | date=25 May 2012 |access-date=11 September 2012}}{{cite web|author=Tijd |url=http://www.voetbalprimeur.nl/site/nieuws/237609/Benfica_heeft_FC_Twente_talent_John_beet.html |title='Benfica heeft FC Twente-talent John beet' |language=nl |publisher=Voetbalprimeur.nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525154028/http://www.voetbalprimeur.nl/site/nieuws/237609/Benfica_heeft_FC_Twente_talent_John_beet.html |archive-date=25 May 2012}} for a transfer fee of €9.1 million according to Football Leaks.{{cite news|date=2 October 2015|title=O que o Football Leaks diz de Sporting, FC Porto e Benfica|trans-title=What Football Leaks tells of Sporting, FC Porto and Benfica|url=https://www.dn.pt/desporto/futebol-nacional/interior/o-que-o-football-leaks-diz-de-sporting-fc-porto-e-benfica--4811674.html|language=pt|newspaper=Diário de Notícias|access-date=25 July 2016}} It was rumored that 80% of the undisclosed went to sports investment company Doyen Sports.{{cite web|title=Ola John 80% eigendom van investeringsmaatschappij Doyen|url=http://www.twenteinsite.nl/ola-john-80-eigendom-van-investeringsmaatschappij-doyen.html#respond|website=www.twenteinsite.nl/|publisher=Twente Insite|access-date=7 January 2016|language=nl|date=4 March 2013}}{{cite web|title=OLA JOHN|url=http://www.doyensports.com/en/OJ.html|website=www.doyensports.com/|publisher=Doyen Sports|access-date=7 January 2016}} After struggling to find his space in the first team during his initial months in Lisbon, John became a regular starter or used substitute in the second half of Benfica's 2012–13 campaign, which included appearances in UEFA Europa League and Portuguese Cup finals.
He was loaned to Hamburger SV for the remainder of the 2013–14 season on 17 January 2014.{{cite web |url=https://www.dn.pt/desporto/benfica/interior/hamburgo-confirma-chegada-de-ola-john-por-emprestimo-3637628.html |title=Official: Hamburgo confirma chegada de Ola John por empréstimo |publisher=dn.pt |date=17 January 2014 |access-date=17 January 2014 |language=pt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314204233/https://www.dn.pt/desporto/benfica/interior/hamburgo-confirma-chegada-de-ola-john-por-emprestimo-3637628.html |archive-date=14 March 2014 |df=dmy-all }} He stayed at Benfica for the new season, scoring his first league goal on 12 September 2014 against Vitória Sétubal.{{cite news|title=V. Setúbal-Benfica, 0-5 (crónica)|url=http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/liga-benfica-vitoria-setubal-cronica-talisca/5413646b0cf28cd2dbd4ebc5.html|trans-title=Vitória Setubal- Benfica, 0-5 (chronicle)|access-date=12 September 2014|work=Maisfutebol.iol.pt|date=12 September 2014|language=pt}} On 5 October, he gave two assists in a 4–0 home win against Arouca in Portuguese league.[http://www.ligaportugal.pt/oou/jogo/20142015/primeiraliga/7/6 Benfica - Arouca (Jornada 7 Primeira Liga 2014-2015) - Liga Portugal] On 29 May 2015, John scored the winning goal against Marítimo (2–1) in the league cup final.{{cite web |url=http://www.zerozero.pt/noticia.php?id=155803 |title=Ola Jonas, o suspeito do costume |language=pt |trans-title=Ola Jonas, the usual suspect |last1=Martins |first1=Cláudia |date=29 May 2015 |publisher=zerozero |access-date=30 May 2015 |quote=O suspeito do costume voltou a fazer das suas, mas foi o Ola John, não o Jonas.}}
On 1 September 2015, John was loaned out to Football League Championship side Reading for one season.{{Cite web|url=http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/ola-john-reading-transfer-deadline-day-2663659.aspx|title = Home of the Royals!}} Reading had an option to sign him on a permanent deal at the end of the loan spell. He scored his first goal for Reading in the home match against Huddersfield Town on 3 November 2015.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34644644|title=Reading 2-2 Huddersfield|date=3 November 2015|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|access-date=4 November 2015}} On 22 August 2016, John returned to the Championship, to join Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan.{{Cite news |title=Wolverhampton Wanderers sign Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Ola John |url=http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/man-utd/transfer-talk/news/wolves-sign-borthwick-jackson-ola-john_279609.html |publisher=SportsMole |date=22 August 2016 |access-date=22 August 2016}}
After an injury-ridden loan spell at Wolves, limiting his game time to a total of 71 minutes in all competitions, his loan was cut short on 13 January 2017 and he instead joined Deportivo de La Coruña on loan until the end of the season.{{Cite news |title=Ola John, nuevo jugador del Deportivo |url=http://www.rcdeportivo.es/noticia/ola-john-nuevo-jugador-del-deportivo |publisher=RC Deportivo |date=13 January 2017 |access-date=13 January 2017|language=es}} In August 2017, it was reported that Ola John refused to be loaned to Panathinaikos and to Qarabağ.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ojogo.pt/futebol/1a-liga/benfica/noticias/interior/recusas-de-ola-john-deixaram-vieira-em-furia-8742423.html|title=Recusas de Ola John deixaram Vieira em fúria}}
=Vitória de Guimarães=
On 21 July 2018, John signed a three-year contract with Vitória S.C. in Primeira Liga.{{cite news|date=21 July 2018|title=Ola John moves to Vitória SC|url=https://www.slbenfica.pt/en-us/agora/noticias/2018-2019/07/21/futebol-benfica-acorda-com-vitoria-sport-clube-cedencia-definitiva-ola-john|work=S.L. Benfica|access-date=25 July 2018}}{{cite news|date=21 July 2018|title=Ola John é Conquistador até 2021|trans-title=Ola John is a Conqueror until 2021|url=https://www.vitoriasc.pt/pt/news/index/view/ola-john-e-conquistador-ate-2021|language=pt|work=Vitória S.C.|access-date=23 July 2018}}
=Al-Arabi=
On 4 June 2023, John joined Saudi First Division side Al-Arabi.{{cite web |title=العربي.. ناويها من بدري |url=https://www.okaz.com.sa/sport/saudi/2135121}}
International career
In February 2012, John was called up for the first time by Bert van Marwijk to represent the senior Netherlands football team for the game against England at Wembley.{{cite web| first = Jamie | last = Jackson | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/feb/28/holland-england-wembley |title=Holland rediscover their old sparkle after that bitter taste of orange | work = The Guardian | date = 28 February 2012 | access-date = 29 March 2014}} On 7 May 2012, he was named in the provisional list of 36 players for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, one of nine uncapped players to be chosen by Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk as part of the preliminary squad.{{cite web|url=http://espnfc.com/en/news/1071286/league/UEFA.EURO/season/2012/team/449 |title=Euro 2012: Emanuelson misses out |publisher=ESPN FC |date=15 May 2012 | access-date = 29 March 2014}}
Personal life
As a two-year-old, John fled with his mother and brothers from Liberia to the Netherlands. His father was killed during the First Liberian Civil War. He did not return to the African continent until the U-17 World Championship in Nigeria in 2009. As a child, he played at the amateur club VV DES in Nijverdal. Like his brothers Collins and Paddy, Ola joined the youth academy of Twente.{{cite news |title=Interview Ola John |website=OnsOranje.nl |date=8 October 2009 |language=nl }}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 1 July 2019}}{{Soccerway|accessdate=13 January 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/1-bundesliga/2013-14/hamburger-sv-12/66974/spieler_john-ola.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119030732/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/1-bundesliga/2013-14/hamburger-sv-12/66974/spieler_john-ola.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 January 2014 |title =John, Ola |language=de |publisher=Kicker |access-date=29 March 2014}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|CupIncludes Johan Cruijff-schaal XVI and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3"|Twente
|rowspan="2"|Eredivisie |13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12
|33 | 8 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 14 | 1 | 50 | 9 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!46 | 9 | 6 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 17 | 1 | 69 | 10 | ||
| rowspan="5"|Benfica
|rowspan="4"|Primeira Liga |22 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 42 | 4 | |
| 2013–14
|5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2014–15
|26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| 2015–16
|2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!55 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 89 | 9 | |
| Hamburger SV (loan)
|8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 9 | 0 | |||
| Reading (loan)
|28 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 4 | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan)
|Championship |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | ||
| Deportivo La Coruña (loan)
|11 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Benfica B
|1 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 1 | ||||
| rowspan="3"|Vitória Guimarães
|rowspan="2"|Primeira Liga |26 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!26||1||1||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||28||1 | ||||||||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!177 | 18 | 21 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 33 | 3 | 243 | 24 |
{{Reflist|group=nb}}
Honours
- Primeira Liga: 2013–14, 2014–15,{{cite web |url=http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/liga/17-05-2015/benfica-bicampeao-28-com-as-faixas-e-dois-a-espera |title=Benfica bicampeão: 28 com as faixas e dois à espera |language=pt |trans-title=Benfica back-to-back champion: 28 with the sashes and two await |last=Cunha |first=Pedro Jorge |date=17 May 2015 |publisher=Maisfutebol |access-date=19 May 2015}} 2015–16
- Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
- Taça da Liga: 2013–14, 2014–15
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2014
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2012–13
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{ForaDeJogo}}
- {{NFT player}}
- {{FIFA player}}
- {{UEFA player}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:John, Ola}}
Category:People from Grand Gedeh County
Category:Men's association football wingers
Category:Dutch men's footballers
Category:Netherlands men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Netherlands men's youth international footballers
Category:Netherlands men's international footballers
Category:Dutch people of Liberian descent
Category:Sportspeople of Liberian descent
Category:Liberian emigrants to the Netherlands
Category:Naturalised citizens of the Netherlands
Category:S.L. Benfica footballers
Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players
Category:Deportivo de La Coruña players
Category:S.L. Benfica B players
Category:Al-Hazem F.C. players
Category:Al-Arabi SC (Saudi Arabia) players
Category:Primeira Liga players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Liga Portugal 2 players
Category:Saudi Pro League players
Category:Saudi First Division League players
Category:Dutch expatriate men's footballers
Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain