Ola John facts for kids
John with Twente in 2011
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ola John | ||
| Date of birth | 19 May 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Zwedru, Liberia | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
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) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Netherlands U17 | 3 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Netherlands U19 | 9 | (3) |
| 2011–2014 | Netherlands U21 | 15 | (1) |
| 2013 | Netherlands | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:39, 28 March 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 February 2014 |
|||
Ola John (born May 19, 1992) is a professional football player. He plays as a left winger for Al-Arabi. Ola John was born in Liberia but plays for the Netherlands national team.
He started his career in the youth system of FC Twente. He played for their main team from 2010 to 2012. After that, he joined S.L. Benfica in Portugal. He also played for other teams on loan, like Hamburger SV, Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Deportivo de La Coruña. In 2018, he moved to Vitória Guimarães.
Ola John played one match for the senior Netherlands national team in 2013.
Contents
Ola John's Club Journey
Starting at Twente
The 2011–12 season was a big moment for Ola John at Twente. He became a regular player from the start of the season. He was very good at helping his teammates score goals. In a UEFA Europa League match against Odense BK, he helped set up all three goals in a 3–2 win. He also scored two goals in a big 6–2 win against FC Utrecht in the Dutch league.
Time with Benfica and Loan Moves
On May 24, 2012, Ola John signed a five-year contract with the Portuguese club Benfica. He had a release clause of €45 million, which meant other clubs would have to pay a lot to buy him.
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 the finals of the UEFA Europa League and the Portuguese Cup.
In January 2014, he was loaned to Hamburger SV in Germany for a short time. He returned to Benfica for the 2014–15 season. He scored his first league goal for Benfica on September 12, 2014. On October 5, he helped set up two goals in a 4–0 win. In May 2015, he scored the winning goal in the Portuguese League Cup final against Marítimo.
In September 2015, Ola John was loaned to Reading, a team in England's Championship league. He scored his first goal for Reading in November 2015. The next year, in August 2016, he was loaned to another Championship team, Wolverhampton Wanderers. He had some injuries there, so his loan ended early in January 2017. He then joined Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain on loan.
Playing for Vitória de Guimarães
On July 21, 2018, Ola John signed a three-year contract with Vitória S.C. in Portugal's top league, Primeira Liga.
Joining Al-Arabi
On June 4, 2023, Ola John moved to Al-Arabi, a team in the Saudi First Division. He continues to play for them.
Playing for His Country
In February 2012, Ola John was called up for the first time to play for the senior Netherlands national team. This was for a game against England. In May 2012, he was named in a list of players for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. He earned one cap (played one match) for the Netherlands in 2013.
Ola John's Life Story
When Ola John was just two years old, he and his mother and brothers had to leave Liberia. They moved to the Netherlands because of the First Liberian Civil War. His father was killed during the war.
He did not return to Africa until 2009, when he played in the U-17 World Championship in Nigeria. As a child, he played for a local club called VV DES. Like his older brothers, Collins and Paddy, Ola joined the youth academy of Twente.
Football Achievements
Twente
- KNVB Cup: 2010–11
- Johan Cruijff Shield: 2011
Benfica
- Primeira Liga (Portuguese League): 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup): 2013–14
- Taça da Liga (Portuguese League Cup): 2013–14, 2014–15
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (Portuguese Super Cup): 2014
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2012–13
See also
In Spanish: Ola John para niños
