Ola John facts for kids
John with Twente in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 May 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Zwedru, Liberia | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Left winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Al-Arabi | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2002 | DES Nijverdal | ||
| 2002–2010 | Twente | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2010–2012 | Twente | 46 | (9) |
| 2012–2018 | Benfica | 55 | (3) |
| 2014 | → Hamburger SV (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Reading (loan) | 28 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Deportivo La Coruña (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2018 | Benfica B | 1 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | Vitória Guimarães | 42 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | RKC Waalwijk | 23 | (2) |
| 2021–2023 | Al-Hazem | 55 | (26) |
| 2023– | Al-Arabi | 23 | (8) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2009 | Netherlands U17 | 3 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Netherlands U19 | 9 | (3) |
| 2011–2014 | Netherlands U21 | 15 | (1) |
| 2013 | Netherlands | 1 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Ola John (born 19 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a left winger. He currently plays for Al-Arabi. Ola John was born in Liberia but has played for the Netherlands national team.
He grew up in the youth system of FC Twente in the Netherlands. He played for their main team from 2010 to 2012. After that, he joined S.L. Benfica in Portugal. He also played on loan for several other clubs, including Hamburger SV, Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Deportivo de La Coruña. In 2013, he played one match for the senior Netherlands national team.
Contents
Ola John's Football Journey
Starting at Twente
The 2011–12 season was a very important time for Ola John at Twente. He became a regular player in the starting lineup. He was known for helping his teammates score goals. In the UEFA Europa League, he gave six assists, which means he helped set up six goals for his team.
One memorable game was against Odense BK in the Europa League. Ola John provided all three assists in their 3–2 win. He also scored two goals in a big 6–2 victory against FC Utrecht in the Dutch league.
Moving to Benfica and Loan Spells
On 24 May 2012, Ola John joined the Portuguese club Benfica. He signed a five-year contract. At first, it was hard for him to get a regular spot in the team. But in the second half of the 2012–13 season, he started playing more often. He even played in important matches like the UEFA Europa League and Portuguese Cup finals.
In January 2014, he was loaned to Hamburger SV in Germany for a short time. After returning to Benfica, he scored his first league goal for them on 12 September 2014. He also gave two assists in a 4–0 win against Arouca. In May 2015, Ola John scored the winning goal in the Portuguese League Cup final against Marítimo, helping Benfica win the trophy.
Later, he was loaned to Championship clubs in England. He played for Reading in the 2015–16 season and scored his first goal for them in November 2015. The next season, he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan. However, injuries limited his playing time there. His loan was cut short, and he then joined Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain for the rest of that season.
Later Career Clubs
After his time at Benfica, Ola John signed a three-year contract with Vitória S.C. in Portugal on 21 July 2018. More recently, on 4 June 2023, he moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Arabi.
Playing for the Netherlands
Ola John has represented the Netherlands at different age levels. In February 2012, he was called up to the senior national team for the first time. This was for a game against England. In May 2012, he was included in a list of players considered for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. He earned one cap (played one match) for the senior national team in 2013.
Ola John's Early Life
Ola John was born in Liberia. When he was two years old, he moved to the Netherlands with his mother and brothers. His family sought safety and a new home. He started playing football at a young age for an amateur club called VV DES. Like his older brothers, Collins and Paddy, Ola later joined the youth academy of FC Twente.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Twente | 2010–11 | Eredivisie | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| 2011–12 | 33 | 8 | 3 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | 50 | 9 | |||
| Total | 46 | 9 | 6 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | 69 | 10 | |||
| Benfica | 2012–13 | 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 | ||
| Total | 55 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 89 | 9 | ||
| Hamburger SV (loan) | 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Reading (loan) | 2015–16 | Championship | 28 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 2016–17 | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Deportivo La Coruña (loan) | 2016–17 | La Liga | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| Benfica B | 2017–18 | Segunda Liga | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Vitória Guimarães | 2018–19 | Primeira Liga | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | |
| 2019–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 177 | 18 | 21 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 33 | 3 | 243 | 24 | ||
Football Achievements
Twente
- KNVB Cup: 2010–11 (a major Dutch cup)
- Johan Cruijff Shield: 2011 (a Dutch super cup)
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16 (Portuguese league champion three times)
- Taça de Portugal: 2013–14 (Portuguese Cup)
- Taça da Liga: 2013–14, 2014–15 (Portuguese League Cup)
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2014 (Portuguese Super Cup)
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2012–13 (reached the final of a big European competition)
