Ex-Golden Eaglets star who learned his trade at Emmanuel Amuneke academy joins Lens in record deal 

French Ligue 1 club Lens have announced the signing of promising Nigerian defensive midfielder Hamzat Ojediran from Hungarian outfit Debrecen VSC.

In case you don’t remember him, Ojediran played a significant role for the Golden Eaglets at the 2019 FifaU17 World Cup, appearing in every one of their four matches during the tournament in Brazil.

He learned his trade at the Emmanuel Amuneke academy until August 2022 when he signed with Albanian club KV Egnatia. 

Debrecen VSC have officially informed that the deal taking Ojediran to Lens is  'a record for foreign players in the history of the club'.

The 20-year-old initially joined Debrecen VSC on loan from KV Egnatia in February 2023 before signing a permanent deal at the end of the 2022-2023 season.

He ended his association with DVSC after putting pen to paper on a four-year contract with Lens, until the end of the 2027-2028 season.

Ojediran played a total of 34 matches for the seven-time Nemzeti Bajnokság I champions and directly participated in six goals (3 goals, 3 assists).

Described as a balanced midfielder capable of defending while advancing, and very good at recovery and anticipation, he was voted Debrecen's Player of the Season for 2023-2024.

Previously, notable Nigerian players wore the colours of Lens including Emmanuel Akwuegbu, Wilson Oruma and John Utaka. 

For the forthcoming season, Ojediran has been assigned the number 15 jersey at Lens. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit: rclens.fr

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