English winger of Nigerian descent, Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, had an outstanding performance as Aston Villa clinched their fifth Youth FA Cup title on Monday. The young Villains sealed the title with an impressive 3-1 win over Manchester City in front of their home fans at Villa Park. Jimoh-Aloba scored and got involved in another as Aston Villa came from behind to beat Manchester City 3-1.
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba scored the last goal of the match before he left the pitch in the 80th minute for the introduction of 17-year-old defender Ashton McWilliams. Jimoh-Aloba’s performance in the final adds to his growing popularity in the youth ranks of the club, and he is in a position to get yet another invite to the first team.
This post examines three things you should know about Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, the 18-year-old Aston Villa player.
1. Nigerian Descent
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, no prize for guessing right, is an English player of Nigerian descent. The 18-year-old was born to Nigerian parents in Birmingham on 2 October 2006. Jimoh-Aloba has represented the youth teams of England, but he has not decided on his future—whether or not to play for the Super Eagles or the Three Lions.
2. An attacking midfielder
What position does Jimoh-Aloba play? Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba is an attacking midfielder with great vision, positional awareness, and good ball retention. Jimoh-Aloba also offers support at both ends of the penalty boxes. Aston Villa’s Academy Manager Mark Harrison said: “Jamaldeen is a good ball manager who can be effective in and around both penalty boxes. We are delighted Jamal has joined us, as there was a lot of competition for his signature.”
3. How much did Aston Villa sign Jimoh-Aloba
Jimoh-Aloba joined Aston Villa for a fee of around £1 from West Bromwich Albion’s youth team in August 2023, despite interest from some top teams in the league. The 18-year-old signed his professional contract on 10 October 2023. Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba made his senior debut on 24 September 2024 away at Wycombe Wanderers in an EFL Cup 2-1 win. Jimoh-Aloba, the 18-year-old midfielder, has 10 goals and four assists for the youth team this season.
