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James Olayinka

James Olayinka

Midfield - Central Midfield  at Waterford FC
Age25
CitizenshipEngland Nigeria
Height1.75 m
Footright
BornOctober 5, 2000
at Waterford FC 508 days · joined 2025-01-01
👕100+ Apps
Market value €150k
Central Midfield Midfield

Career snapshot

8
clubs played for
16/17
debut season
0.1
goals / match
Arsenal FC U23
top club · 47 apps

Career highs

€300k
peak value · 2023
top transfer fee
4
best season · 17/18
int'l / penalties
171Appearances
17Goals
14Assists
7Yellow cards
1Red cards
61Full matches (90′)
Full nameJames Olayinka
Name in home countryOlujimi James Olayinka
Date of birth2000-10-05 (25 yrs)
Place of birthLondon, England
CitizenshipEngland Nigeria
PositionMidfield - Central Midfield (main: Midfield)
Footright
Height175.00 m
Current clubWaterford FC
Joined2025-01-01
Contract expires
AgentMomentum Sports ...
OutfitterNike
Jul 2025
2025 — Waterford FC
25 matches · 1 G · 0 A · across 2 competitions
Jan 2025
Transfer: Without Club → Waterford FC
24/25 · Transfer
Jul 2024
Transfer: Cheltenham → Without Club
24/25 · Transfer
Jul 2023
23/24 — Cheltenham Town
15 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 4 competitions
Sep 2022
Transfer: Arsenal U21 → Cheltenham
22/23 · Transfer
Jul 2022
22/23 — Arsenal FC U21, Cheltenham Town
33 matches · 3 G · 8 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 2021
21/22 — Arsenal FC U23
16 matches · 2 G · 0 A · across 2 competitions
May 2021
Transfer: Southend United → Arsenal U23
20/21 · Return from loan
Jan 2021
Injury: unknown
16 games missed
Oct 2020
Transfer: Arsenal U23 → Southend United
20/21 · Loan
Jul 2020
20/21 — Arsenal FC, Arsenal FC U23, Southend United
27 matches · 4 G · 0 A · across 5 competitions
Jun 2020
Transfer: Northampton → Arsenal U23
19/20 · Return from loan
Jan 2020
Transfer: Arsenal U23 → Northampton
19/20 · Loan
Jul 2019
19/20 — Arsenal FC U23, Arsenal FC, Northampton Town
12 matches · 2 G · 1 A · across 5 competitions
Jul 2018
18/19 — Arsenal FC U23, Arsenal FC U18
23 matches · 1 G · 2 A · across 5 competitions
Jul 2018
Transfer: Arsenal U18 → Arsenal U23
18/19 · Transfer
Jul 2017
17/18 — Arsenal FC U18, Arsenal FC U23
19 matches · 4 G · 3 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2017
Transfer: Arsenal Youth → Arsenal U18
17/18 · Transfer
Jul 2016
16/17 — Arsenal FC U18
1 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 1 competition
Jan 1970
Peak market value: €300k
Highest valuation recorded in dataset
5,504 min
Minutes played by club
Cheltenham Town 22.0%
Arsenal FC U21 3.0%
Arsenal FC U23 19.6%
Waterford FC 32.9%
Arsenal FC 0.0%
Southend United 14.9%
Northampton Town 0.0%
Arsenal FC U18 7.6%
ClubSeasonsFirstLastMatchesGoalsAssistsMinutes
Cheltenham Town 2 22/23 23/24 43 1 3 1,209
Arsenal FC U21 1 22/23 22/23 5 2 5 166
Arsenal FC U23 5 17/18 21/22 47 5 3 1,079
Waterford FC 1 2025 2025 25 1 0 1,812
Arsenal FC 2 19/20 20/21 0 0 0 0
Southend United 1 20/21 20/21 21 3 0 822
Northampton Town 1 19/20 19/20 4 0 0 0
Arsenal FC U18 3 16/17 18/19 26 5 3 416

Career trajectory — goals, assists & market value

3€75K6€150K8€225K11€300K17/18 — 4 goals (Arsenal FC U18)17/18 — 3 assists717/1818/19 — 1 goals (Arsenal FC U18)18/19 — 2 assists318/1919/20 — 2 goals (Arsenal FC U23)19/20 — 1 assists319/2020/21 — 4 goals (Southend United)420/212025 — 1 goals (Waterford FC)1202521/22 — 2 goals (Arsenal FC U23)221/2222/23 — 3 goals (Cheltenham Town)22/23 — 8 assists1122/2323/2423/24 — €300KGoalsAssistsMarket value

Goals by season

16/17: 0016/1717/18: 4417/1818/19: 1118/1919/20: 2219/2020/21: 4420/212025: 11202521/22: 2221/2222/23: 3322/2323/24: 0023/24

Assists by season

16/17: 0016/1717/18: 3317/1818/19: 2218/1919/20: 1119/2020/21: 0020/212025: 00202521/22: 0021/2222/23: 8822/2323/24: 0023/24
SeasonCompetitionClubMatchesGoalsAssistsYCRCMinutes
23/24 EFL Cup Cheltenham Town 1 0 0 0 0 0
23/24 EFL Trophy Cheltenham Town 3 0 0 0 0 0
23/24 FA Cup Cheltenham Town 0 0 0 0 0 0
23/24 League One Cheltenham Town 11 0 0 0 1 0
22/23 EFL Trophy Arsenal FC U21 1 0 0 0 0 0
22/23 FA Cup Cheltenham Town 1 0 0 0 0 0
22/23 League One Cheltenham Town 27 1 3 0 0 1,209
22/23 Premier League 2 Arsenal FC U21 4 2 5 0 0 166
21/22 EFL Trophy Arsenal FC U23 3 2 0 0 0 102
21/22 Premier League 2 Arsenal FC U23 13 0 0 0 0 0
2025 FAI Cup Waterford FC 1 0 0 0 0 0
2025 Premier Division Waterford FC 24 1 0 4 0 1,812
20/21 Community Shield Arsenal FC 0 0 0 0 0 0
20/21 EFL Trophy Arsenal FC U23 2 0 0 0 0 0
20/21 FA Cup Southend United 1 1 0 0 0 120
20/21 League Two Southend United 20 2 0 2 0 702
20/21 Premier League 2 Arsenal FC U23 4 1 0 0 0 360
19/20 EFL Trophy Arsenal FC U23 2 1 0 0 0 157
19/20 Europa League Arsenal FC 0 0 0 0 0 0
19/20 League Two Northampton Town 1 0 0 0 0 0
19/20 League Two Play-Offs Northampton Town 3 0 0 1 0 0
19/20 Premier League 2 Arsenal FC U23 6 1 1 0 0 460
18/19 EFL Trophy Arsenal FC U23 4 0 0 0 0 0
18/19 FA Youth Cup Arsenal FC U18 3 0 0 0 0 0
18/19 Premier League 2 Arsenal FC U23 13 0 2 0 0 0
18/19 U18 PL - Final Stage Arsenal FC U18 1 0 0 0 0 0
18/19 U18 Premier League Arsenal FC U18 2 1 0 0 0 135
17/18 FA Youth Cup Arsenal FC U18 4 0 0 0 0 0
17/18 Premier League 2 Arsenal FC U23 0 0 0 0 0 0
17/18 U18 Premier League Arsenal FC U18 15 4 3 0 0 281
16/17 U18 Premier League Arsenal FC U18 1 0 0 0 0 0
SeasonDateFromToTypeMarket valueFee
17/18 2017-07-01 Arsenal Youth Arsenal U18 Transfer 0
18/19 2018-07-01 Arsenal U18 Arsenal U23 Transfer 0
19/20 2020-01-27 Arsenal U23 Northampton Loan 0
19/20 2020-06-30 Northampton Arsenal U23 Return from loan 0
20/21 2020-10-16 Arsenal U23 Southend United Loan 0
20/21 2021-05-31 Southend United Arsenal U23 Return from loan 0
22/23 2022-09-01 Arsenal U21 Cheltenham Transfer 0
24/25 2024-07-01 Cheltenham Without Club Transfer 150000
24/25 2025-01-01 Without Club Waterford FC Transfer 150000
SeasonInjuryFromToDays missedGames missed
20/21 Torn lateral ankle ligament 2021-01-16 2021-03-23 67 16
Current€150k
Peak€300k
Low€150k
Δ since start−€50k
€150k€188k€225k€263k€300k197019701970
DateValue
Jan 1, 1970 €150k
Jan 1, 1970 €150k
Jan 1, 1970 €300k
Jan 1, 1970 €200k
Jan 1, 1970 €200k

No national team data.

TeammatePPG played withJoint goalsMinutes
Elliot Bonds 1 0 997
Ben Williams 1 0 936
Will Ferry 1 0 666
Folarin Balogun 2 2 0
Luke Southwood 1 0 0
Sean Long 1 0 0
Bukayo Saka 2 1 0
Matt Smith 2 4 0
Liam Sercombe 1 0 0
Ryan Broom 1 1 0
Dan Ballard 2 0 0
Zech Medley 1 1 0
Caleb Taylor 1 0 0
Joseph Olowu 1 0 0
Alfie May 1 1 0

Single-season peaks across competitions in this player's career.

Top goalscoring seasons

SeasonCompetitionClubGoalsMatches
17/18 U18 Premier League Arsenal FC U18 4 15
20/21 League Two Southend United 2 20
21/22 EFL Trophy Arsenal FC U23 2 3

Top assist seasons

SeasonCompetitionClubAssistsMatches
22/23 Premier League 2 Arsenal FC U21 5 4
22/23 League One Cheltenham Town 3 27
17/18 U18 Premier League Arsenal FC U18 3 15

Every loan spell across this player's career.

SeasonDateFromToTypeFeeValue at transfer
20/21 2021-05-31 Southend United Arsenal U23 Return from loan
20/21 2020-10-16 Arsenal U23 Southend United Loan
19/20 2020-06-30 Northampton Arsenal U23 Return from loan
19/20 2020-01-27 Arsenal U23 Northampton Loan

Teams faced most often by James Olayinka's clubs during seasons he played in those competitions (team-level results, not personal head-to-head goals — see disclaimer above).

OpponentPWDLGFGAGDWin %
Morecambe FC 14 5 3 6 19 19 0 36%
Cambridge United 13 5 5 3 16 17 -1 38%
Oldham Athletic 12 5 3 4 14 9 +5 42%
Port Vale FC 12 3 5 4 17 20 -3 25%
Exeter City 12 4 4 4 18 23 -5 33%
Scunthorpe United 12 8 1 3 22 13 +9 67%
Grimsby Town 11 3 4 4 11 12 -1 27%
Milton Keynes Dons 11 3 5 3 16 17 -1 27%
Forest Green Rovers 11 3 4 4 13 12 +1 27%
Colchester United 11 6 2 3 20 16 +4 55%
Bradford City 10 5 1 4 16 14 +2 50%
Carlisle United 10 3 1 6 6 13 -7 30%

Auto-detected milestones based on cumulative career totals.

Season / YearMilestoneDate
16/17 Senior debut season
17/18 First senior goal

Yellow / second-yellow / red cards per season. Only seasons with at least one card are shown.

SeasonMatchesMinsYC2nd YCRCCards / 90′
23/24 15 0 0 0 1 0
2025 25 1,812 4 0 0 0.2
20/21 27 1,182 2 0 0 0.15
19/20 12 617 1 0 0 0.15

Output by competition

Career goals and assists broken down by tournament.

U18 Premier League
18 apps
5 G
3 A
Premier League 2
40 apps
4 G
8 A
EFL Trophy
15 apps
3 G
0 A
League Two
21 apps
2 G
0 A
League One
38 apps
1 G
3 A
Premier Division
24 apps
1 G
0 A
FA Cup
2 apps
1 G
0 A
FA Youth Cup
7 apps
0 G
0 A

Frequently asked about James Olayinka

Who is James Olayinka?

James Olayinka is an England professional footballer who plays as a central midfield for Waterford FC.

How old is James Olayinka?

James Olayinka is 25 years old. He was born on October 5, 2000 in London.

What position does James Olayinka play?

James Olayinka plays as a central midfield (Midfield - Central Midfield).

What club does James Olayinka play for?

James Olayinka currently plays for Waterford FC.

How many career goals has James Olayinka scored?

Across all senior club competitions in our dataset, James Olayinka has scored 17 goals in 171 appearances.

What is James Olayinka's market value?

James Olayinka's most recent reported market value is €150k.