Zadok Yohanna will be playing in the Premier League next season.
This is an incredible statement in itself, as Yohanna was playing non-professional football in 2025.
The 18-year-old began his career at the Ikon Allah Football Academy in Nigeria, before being recruited by Swedish club AIK last year.
It was in Sweden that Yohanna’s career took flight.
The teenager made his breakthrough in the first team, scoring twice and providing three assists in 13 appearances.
In June 2026, Yohanna signed for Brighton & Hove Albion for €28 million, breaking the Swedish transfer fee record.
“His trajectory within a year has been phenomenal. I think it is a pointer to how quickly things can change for people. I also think it’s a reflection of time and chance,” Wale Agbede, a renowned sports broadcaster, told DAILY POST.
“I don’t necessarily think his pathway is the standard route, through which amateur players from places like Africa, the hinterlands of Asia and South America will land in the Premier League.
“But it is a lot of work done by agents, who deserve some credit.
“I’m really happy for him and I hope he grabs the opportunity. In the past, we have seen young players thrown into the deep end, who fail to impress.
“For someone who was playing amateur football two years ago to cost Brighton that amount of money, it will come with pressure.
“People will now regard him as a wonderkid and he would be expected to light up the Premier League
