Super Eagles news: “I couldn’t defend” – Ola Aina reveals how Torino transfer changed his career

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has admitted that he truly learnt how to defend during his time at Italian Serie club Torino, Soccernet.ng reports.

Aina grew up at Chelsea and started his professional career there before joining Torino on loan in 2018 due to lack of playing time. The move would eventually becoming permanent just a year later.

The 29-year-old right-back spent two seasons with the Serie A club, and that experience proved to be an important turning point in his development as a defender.

Aina has now revealed that playing in Italy exposed him to the defensive side of the game in a way he had not experienced before.

“I’m a defender, but I didn’t know how to defend when I was still at Chelsea,” Aina said.

“But when I went to Italy, I started learning how to defend. Before that, I was not defending, I was just DEF. But now I can defend.”

The 29-year-old’s comments offer an interesting insight into how much his game changed during his time in Serie A.

Aina had already come through Chelsea’s academy and established himself as a versatile full-back before moving to Italy, but Torino helped him develop a greater understanding of the defensive responsibilities of the position.

This does not come as a surprise, as the Italian is one of the most physical leagues in Europe, and they have produced many world class defenders, especially in the 2000s.

That Torino Move Was A Blessing For Ola Aina

After leaving Torino, Aina returned to England and joined Fulham before moving to Nottingham Forest in 2023 in a free transfer.

He has since established himself as one of the Tricky Trees’ most dependable defenders and has become an important player for the Super Eagles.

Aina is solid in 1v1s, an adept ball player, and has one or two dribbles up his sleeves. If he had not already committed to Nigeria, he probably would have even made the England squad.

This season, however, has been topsy-turvy for the Chelsea Academy product. He has had to alternate right wing-back and right center-back under new coach Oliver Glasner. Apparently, he is yet to settle in with the new tactics, but he will be hoping to return to his best and start firing on all cylinders for Nottingham Forest.