I held a grudge for 7 years — Ola Aina reveals how he got revenge on former Barcelona player

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina recently revealed that he held a seven-year grudge against Spain international winger Adama Traore, revealing that he only recently got his pound of flesh. 

The Nottingham Forest defender came up through the ranks at Chelsea, and as was the club’s youth policy at the time, he had multiple loan spells. He spent one such season on loan at Hull City, during which he faced off against Adama Traoré, an encounter that left a lasting impression on him.

Speaking during a recent podcast appearance, Aina recounted an encounter with Adama, a                    2018 Championship fixture involving his Hull City and the Spaniard’s Middlesbrough. Boro won the game 3-1, with Adama getting the best of Aina.

Aina narrated the story on the Beast Mode Podcast, revealing that he held a grudge from the game, which he eventually settled after seven years.

“When I was at Hull, he was at Middlesbrough, and he embarrassed me,” Aina said. “I know I'm quick, so he was on the halfway line, I went towards him, he got the ball, knocked it behind me and ran off. I was like, 'Oh my days.' That was in 2019, and I promise you I held a grudge.

“I've told this story to all my boys, like Alex (Iwobi), held a grudge. From 2019, I hadn't played him until last season when we played him at home. When I saw him last season, I said, ‘Yeah, you'll see today; I'll show you.' I was onto him in that game; he will tell you. Then after the game, I told myself, ‘grudge gone'

“He didn't even start that game. I took care of the winger that played that wing, then Marco Silva replaced him with Traore for like 25 minutes. That was the day I had been waiting; I didn't let this guy rest. But now that grudge is gone.”

Meanwhile, Aina recently returned from injury after being out injured since the September break. His injury prevented him from partaking in the ongoing AFCON with the Super Eagles.