Over the years, Nigerian footballers have left a strong impact on the English Premier League, playing major roles in their club’s successes.
Although only a few of them have gone on to lift the prestigious league trophy, many others showcased consistency in their career, with many games under their belt.
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi rewrote history books this past weekend, when he took to the field for Fulham against his former club Arsenal.
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With that appearance, the 29-year-old became the Nigerian player with the most appearances in English Premier League history, surpassing a long-standing record.
But whose record did Iwobi break and which other Nigerian stars complete the list? In this article, SportPremi reveals the five Nigerian players with the most appearances in the English Premier League;
5. John Mikel Obi (249 appearances):
Former Chelsea midfield stalwart John Mikel Obi made 249 appearances in the English Premier League until his departure in 2017.
The ex-Super Eagles captain was at the centre of a transfer saga involving Norwegian club Lyn and English rivals Chelsea and Manchester United, before finally joining the Blues in 2006.
Mikel departed Stamford Bridge as a legendary figure, winning two English Premier League titles among other honors.
4. Yakubu Aiyegbeni (252 appearances):
Popularly known as ‘The Yak’, Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s name still sparks memories among Nigerians – not just for his goals, but for his famous open-goal miss against South Korea at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The former Super Eagles striker is the highest-scoring Nigerian player in the English Premier League, but is fourth on the all-time appearance list.
He featured for four different clubs – Portsmouth (67), Middlesbrough (73), Everton (82) and Blackburn Rovers (30).
3. Kanu Nwankwo (273 appearances):
The iconic Nigerian remains one of the most decorated African footballers in European football history.
Kanu made 119 appearances for Arsenal in the EPL, playing a major role in their ‘invincibles’ league triumph.
The Olympic-Gold medalist then went on to play for the likes of West Bromwich Albion (52) and Portsmouth (100), netting the winner for the latter in their FA Cup triumph in 2008.
2. Shola Ameobi (298 appearances):
Once the record holder before the arrival of Alex Iwobi, Shola Ameobi racked up 298 appearances in the EPL during his playing days.
Though most of his appearances came off the bench, the former Nigerian midfielder was a key figure for Newcastle United, making 295 league appearances in his 14-year stay at the club.
He returned to the EPL with Crystal Palace, but only featured three times for the Eagles in the league.
1. Alex Iwobi (299 appearances and counting):
Nigerian midfielder Alex Iwobi climbed to the top of the list after featuring for the entire 90 minutes in Fulham’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last Saturday.
He began his EPL career with Arsenal, where he made 100 appearances. He then moved to Everton, playing 100 times in the league before joining Fulham in 2023, where he has now played 76 league matches.
Iwobi is on the verge of another milestone if he features for Fulham against Newcastle United next weekend, as he will become the first Nigerian to reach 300 Premier League appearances.
With age still on his side, he has plenty of time to widen the gap and could hold on to the record for quite some time to come.
