Gboly Ariyibi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gboly Ariyibi

Ariyibi with Chesterfield in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Omogbolahan Gregory Ariyibi
Date of birth	(1995-01-18) January 18, 1995 (age 30)
Place of birth	Arlington, Virginia, United States
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Youth career
2005–2013	Southampton
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2014	Leeds United	2	(0)
2014	→ Tranmere Rovers (loan)	2	(0)
2014–2017	Chesterfield	83	(3)
2017–2019	Nottingham Forest	0	(0)
2017–2018	→ Milton Keynes Dons (loan)	22	(3)
2018	→ Northampton Town (loan)	12	(0)
2019	→ Motherwell (loan)	17	(2)
2019–2021	Panetolikos	48	(5)
2021–2023	MKE Ankaragücü	40	(3)
2023–2024	Ankara Keçiörengücü	24	(1)
International career
2014	United States U20	1	(0)
2015	United States U23	4	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 9, 2024

Omogbolahan Gregory "Gboly" Ariyibi (born January 18, 1995) is an American professional soccer player. He plays as a winger, which means he plays on the sides of the field. Gboly has also played for the United States national teams for players under 20 and under 23 years old.

Gboly Ariyibi's Early Life

Gboly Ariyibi was born in Arlington, Virginia, United States. His parents are from Nigeria. When he was just two months old, his family moved to England. They lived in London for a while.

Later, he spent a short time living in Nigeria. After that, he moved back to England. His family settled in Oxford, which Gboly considers his hometown.

Gboly Ariyibi's Club Career

Gboly Ariyibi has played for many different soccer clubs. He started his journey in youth teams and then moved on to play professionally.

Starting at Southampton

Gboly began his youth career at Southampton in 2005. He was spotted playing for a youth team called Quarry Rovers in Oxford. He trained alongside future famous players like Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse.

Gboly moved up through the youth teams to the Under 21s squad. He was listed as one of Southampton's promising young players for the 2012–13 season. After his time at Southampton, he tried out for other clubs.

Playing for Leeds United

On December 11, 2013, Gboly signed with Leeds United. He joined them after a short trial period. The manager, Brian McDermott, said Gboly was "an exciting player" and "very, very quick."

Gboly got the number 27 shirt. He made his first appearance for Leeds United on December 29, 2013. He came into the game as a substitute against Nottingham Forest. His second game was on January 1, 2014, against Blackburn Rovers.

In March 2014, Gboly joined Tranmere Rovers on loan. He played two games for them. However, he got injured and couldn't play for the rest of the season. Leeds United released him in May 2014.

Time at Chesterfield

After leaving Leeds, Gboly joined Chesterfield on August 29, 2014. He signed a 12-month contract with the team. He had also been offered a deal by Premier League club Burnley, but he chose Chesterfield.

Gboly made his debut for Chesterfield on September 13, 2014. He came on as a substitute in a game against Scunthorpe United. At first, he didn't play much due to injuries and being on the bench. By February 2015, he started getting more playing time.

He helped his team win 3–0 against Fleetwood Town in February 2015. This good performance earned him a new contract until 2017. A week later, he scored his first goal for Chesterfield on March 14, 2015. He became a regular player and finished the season with 19 appearances and one goal.

In the 2015–16 season, Gboly played even more. He appeared in the first nine league matches. He scored his first goal of the season in an FA Cup game against F.C. United of Manchester. In January 2016, he helped his team score two goals in a big 7–1 win over Shrewsbury Town.

On April 2, 2016, he scored a goal and helped with two others in a 4–2 win against Port Vale. He scored again on April 19, 2016, in a 1–1 draw against Doncaster Rovers. By the end of the season, he had played 41 games and scored three goals.

In the 2016–17 season, other clubs, like Reading, became interested in Gboly. He stayed at Chesterfield even though he turned down a new contract. He continued to play well for the team. His manager, Danny Wilson, praised his performance.

Moving to Nottingham Forest

On January 31, 2017, Gboly signed with Nottingham Forest. This club plays in the EFL Championship, which is a higher league. Even though he played well for their under-23s team, he didn't play any games for the main team that season.

Loan Spells

On July 17, 2017, Gboly went on loan to Milton Keynes Dons for a season. He scored his first goal for them on August 8, 2017, in an EFL Cup game. After playing 28 games, his loan ended early in January 2018.

Soon after, he joined Northampton Town on loan. This loan also ended early in April 2018 because of an injury. On January 7, 2019, Gboly went on another loan, this time to Motherwell for the rest of the 2018–19 season.

Playing in Greece with Panetolikos

On September 1, 2019, Gboly Ariyibi moved to Greece. He joined Super League Greece team Panetolikos on a two-year deal. On November 9, 2019, he scored his first goal for the club. It was a deflected shot that helped his team tie the game 2–2, though they eventually lost 3–2.

Gboly Ariyibi's International Career

Gboly Ariyibi was born in the United States. However, because his parents are Nigerian, he could also play for Nigeria. He could also play for England because he grew up there. In 2013, Gboly said he wanted to play for the United States youth teams.

In September 2014, Gboly was called up to the United States under-20 team. He played one game for them. In August 2015, he was called up to the United States under-23 team. He made his debut for this team in a game against England U21. On September 8, 2015, Gboly scored his first international goal in a match against Qatar under-23 team.

Career Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Gboly Ariyibi para niños