Super Eagles star Aina snubs Osimhen, Lookman, names best footballer he has ever played with

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has overlooked current Nigerian stars to name the best player he has ever shared a dressing room with.

The Nottingham Forest fullback instead pointed to a former Chelsea teammate as the standout talent of his career.

Rather than selecting compatriots like Victor Osimhen or Ademola Lookman, Aina singled out Eden Hazard as the finest footballer he has played alongside.

The Nigerian international came through the academy at Chelsea FC, where he had the opportunity to train and compete with the Belgian star during his formative professional years.

Both players were members of the Chelsea squad that lifted the Premier League title in the 2016/2017 campaign. Although Aina was still breaking into senior football at the time, he witnessed Hazard’s brilliance up close.

Aina made his senior debut for Chelsea in August 2016, featuring in a 3–2 EFL Cup victory over Bristol Rovers. He went on to make three first-team appearances, including his Premier League debut in a 3–0 win against Leicester City in October that same year.

Speaking in a video interview shared by Hayters TV, Aina described Hazard as the standout talent he has encountered in his career so far.

Despite sharing a dressing room with one of Europe’s most gifted attackers, Aina revealed he never managed to get Hazard’s personal contact, a surprising admission given their time together at Stamford Bridge.

In search of consistent first-team football, Aina sealed a permanent transfer to Torino FC in 2019. The move proved pivotal, allowing him to establish himself as a reliable performer in Serie A.

He has since returned to England, where he now plays a key role for Nottingham Forest as one of the club’s best players.

While he has shared the pitch with several top talents since, Aina’s verdict is clear: Eden Hazard remains the best he has ever played with.