Rinsola Babajide
{{short description|Nigerian footballer (born 1998)}}
{{Use Nigerian English|date=October 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Rinsola Babajide
| image = Rinsola Babajide (50557048161) (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Babajide with Liverpool in 2020
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1998|06|17}}
| birth_place = London, England{{cite web |title=Rinsola Babajide on IWD and fighting racism |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/rinsola-babajide-iwd-mane-fighting-racism |publisher=Olympics}}
| position = Forward
| currentclub = UDG Tenerife
| clubnumber = 7
| youthyears1 =
| years1 =
| clubs1 = Crystal Palace
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 2015–2016
| clubs2 = Millwall Lionesses
| caps2 = 31
| goals2 = 7
| years3 = 2017–2018
| clubs3 = Watford
| caps3 = 15
| goals3 = 3
| years4 = 2018–2022
| clubs4 = Liverpool
| caps4 = 45
| goals4 = 10
| years5 = 2021–2022
| clubs5 = → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
| caps5 = 3
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2022–2023
| clubs6 = Real Betis
| caps6 = 38
| goals6 = 9
| years7 = 2023–
| clubs7 = UDG Tenerife
| caps7 = 41
| goals7 = 7
| nationalyears1 = 2016–2017
| nationalteam1 = England U19
| nationalcaps1 = 9
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2017–2018
| nationalteam2 = England U20
| nationalcaps2 = 6
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2019
| nationalteam3 = England U21
| nationalcaps3 = 8
| nationalgoals3 = 2
| nationalyears4 = 2023–
| nationalteam4 = Nigeria
| nationalcaps4 = 5
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| club-update = 11:53, 3 July 2023 (UTC)
| ntupdate = 25 October 2023
}}
Omorinsola Omowunmi Ajike Babajide (born 17 June 1998), known as Rinsola Babajide, is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish Liga F club UDG Tenerife. A former England youth international up to under-21 level, she made her senior Nigeria debut in October 2023.{{Cite web|title= Nigeria call up former England starlet Rinsola Babajide for 2024 Olympics qualifiers|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/espn/story/_/id/38638952/nigeria-call-former-england-starlet-rinsola-babajide-2024-olympics-qualifiers%3fplatform=amp |access-date=2023-10-17|website=espn.co.uk |language=en-GB |date=14 October 2023 }}
She previously played for Liverpool, Millwall Lionesses, Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Club career
=Millwall Lionesses=
She joined Millwall Lionesses from Crystal Palace in January 2015,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/31914812|title=Women's Super League Two 2015 club-by-club season preview|work=BBC|first1=Andrew|last1=Aloia|first2=Tom|last2=Garry|date=18 March 2015|accessdate=2 March 2017}} but made her professional debut on March 18 against the London Bees in a FA WSL match which ended in a draw.{{cite news|url=http://millwall.fawsl.com/news/babajide_it_was_a_good_first_game.html#SOwshPw72fb8yUJy.97|title=BABAJIDE: IT WAS A GOOD FIRST GAME|website=millwall.fawsl.com|first=Philippa|last=Christopher-Browne|date=20 March 2015|accessdate=2 March 2017|archive-date=3 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303123026/http://millwall.fawsl.com/news/babajide_it_was_a_good_first_game.html#SOwshPw72fb8yUJy.97|url-status=dead}}
=Watford=
In February 2017, Babajide completed a transfer to Watford Ladies.{{cite news|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/15084622.Golden_Girls_sign_six/|title=Watford Ladies announce signing of six players ahead of Spring Series opener at Aston Villa|work=Watford Observer|first=Anthony|last=Matthews|date=10 February 2017|accessdate=2 March 2017}} She scored her first competitive goal for the club in a 3–2 loss to London Bees in a FA WSL Spring Series fixture.{{cite web|url=http://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=22196|title=Babajide Scores First Competitive Goal For Watford Before Linking Up With England Squad|website=allnigeriasoccer.com|first=Igho|last=Kingsley|date=27 February 2017|accessdate=2 March 2017}} Babajide finished as Watford's joint top scorer in the 2017 Spring Series, with three goals.{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/ladies/288419-ladies-sign-england-u20-international-babajide|title=Ladies sign England U20 international Babajide|website=a Liverpool Football Club|date=25 January 2018|accessdate=25 January 2018}}
=Liverpool=
Her transfer to Liverpool was announced on 25 January 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42818948|title=Rinsola Babajide: Liverpool Ladies sign England U20 striker from Watford Ladies|publisher=BBC Sport|date=25 January 2018|accessdate=25 January 2018}} Babajide was part of the squad that saw Liverpool relegated to the Championship in 2020.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-05|title=Liverpool's relegated women underfunded and in disarray|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jun/05/liverpools-relegated-women-underfunded-and-in-disarray|access-date=2020-11-07|website=The Guardian|language=en}}
Babajide was Liverpool's second highest goal scorer in the 2018/19 WSL season with two campaign goals.
Babajide was then Liverpool's joint-second WSL goal scorer in the 2019/20 season with one single league goal. She didn't feature for Liverpool in the second half of the 2020/21 Championship season after refusing to train{{Cite news|title=Babajide requests to leave Liverpool|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55936898|access-date=2021-04-03}} with the first team squad and was then subsequently moved down into the age group development squad away from the first team.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/em_sandy/status/1370725207653163008|title=I understand Liverpool forward Rinsola Babajide is now training with the U21s|access-date=2021-04-03|website=Twitter|language=en}}
=Brighton & Hove Albion=
On 26 July 2021, Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club announced the signing of Rinsola on a season-long loan deal from Liverpool Women.{{Cite web|title=Babajide joins Albion on loan|url=https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/news/2198579/rinsola-joins-albion-on-loan|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.brightonandhovealbion.com|language=en}}
On 3 July 2023, after an 18-month spell with Real Betis, Babajide joined fellow Liga F side UDG Tenerife on a two-year deal.{{cite web|url=https://udgtenerife.com/rinsola-babajide-apuntala-el-ataque-de-la-udg-tenerife/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703223748/https://udgtenerife.com/rinsola-babajide-apuntala-el-ataque-de-la-udg-tenerife/|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 July 2023|title=Rinsola Babajide apuntala el ataque de la UDG Tenerife|publisher=UD Granadilla Tenerife|date=3 July 2023|accessdate=3 July 2023|language=Spanish}}
International career
=England=
In August 2018, Babajide was part of the England U20s squad that claimed bronze at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.{{cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/news/2018/aug/24/world-cup-england-france-bronze-medal-240818 |title=ENGLAND WIN BRONZE MEDAL AT FIFA U20 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP |publisher=The FA |date=24 August 2018 |accessdate=3 April 2019}} In September 2020 she was included in a training camp for the England senior team.{{cite AV media|title=FULL MATCH {{!}} England vs England {{!}} Lionesses Training Match|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxSxKT91D10|access-date=2023-01-10}}{{Cite web |last=Veevers |first=Nicholas |date=9 September 2020 |title=With eight new faces in the England squad, find out a bit more about each of them |url=http://www.thefa.com/news/2020/sep/09/meet-the-new-lionesses-090920 |website=The Football Association}}
=Nigeria=
Due to her Nigerian parents, Babajide was also eligible to represent Nigeria.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=42240|title=Photo confirmation : Liverpool's Nigeria-eligible winger joins Real Betis Feminas}} She received her first call up in October 2023 and made her debut on 25 October 2023, starting in a 1–1 draw with Ethiopia during 2024 Olympic qualifying.{{cite web |title=Ajibade scores stunner to rescue 1-1 draw for Super Falcons against Ethiopia |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/10/2024-olympic-qualifier-ajibade-scores-stunner-to-rescue-1-1-draw-for-super-falcons-against-ethiopia/ |website=Vanguard|date=25 October 2023 }}
Career statistics
= Club =
{{updated|match played 11 May 2019}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |League CupIncludes the FA WSL Cup ! colspan="2" |FA CupIncludes the FA Women's Cup ! colspan="2" |ContinentalIncludes the UEFA Women's Champions League ! colspan="2" |Total | |||||||||
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="3" |Millwall Lionesses
|2015 | rowspan="2" |FA WSL 2 |17 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 23 | 5 | |
| 2016
|14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 17 | 4 | |
| colspan="2" |Total
!31 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 9 |
| rowspan="3" |Watford
|2017 | rowspan="2" |FA WSL 2 |9 | 3 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 9 | 3 | ||
| 2017–18
|6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 10 | 0 | |
| colspan="2" |Total
!15 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
| rowspan="3" |Liverpool
| rowspan="2" |FA WSL |4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018–19
|17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 18 | 5 | |
| colspan="2" |Total
!21 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 |
| colspan="3" |Career total
!67 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 17 |
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{soccerway|rinsola-babajide/409188}}
{{UD Granadilla Tenerife squad}}
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babajide, Rinsola}}
Category:Footballers from London
Category:Nigerian women's footballers
Category:21st-century Nigerian sportswomen
Category:Nigeria women's international footballers
Category:English women's footballers
Category:England women's under-21 international footballers
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Category:Women's association football forwards
Category:Crystal Palace F.C. (Women) players
Category:Millwall Lionesses L.F.C. players
Category:Watford F.C. Women players
Category:Liverpool F.C. Women players
Category:Real Betis Féminas players
Category:Women's Super League players
Category:FA Women's National League players
Category:Alumni of the University of East London
Category:Black British sportswomen
Category:Nigerian expatriate women's footballers
Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:English expatriate women's footballers
Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Spain