Manchester City Star Named After Super Eagles Legend ‘Meets’ His Hero
- Manchester City player Tijjani Reijnders was named after Super Eagles legend Tijani Babangida
- Reijnder's father, Martin Reijnders, has finally met with the former Nigerian international, years after watching him in Ajax
- Babangida was known for his blistering pace and success at Ajax, where he won the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup double
Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is gaining fans from the Nigerian community watching the English Premier League, not for his skills and talents, but for the story behind his name.
The 27-year-old joined the Cityzens from AC Milan for the whopping sum of £46.3m.
The Dutch player scored the second goal as Manchester City defeated Wolves 4-0, winning 100% tackles, 91% pass accuracy, and completing 52 passes.
Source: Getty Images
How Reijnders got his first name
Tijjani Reijnders is the son of former professional player Martin Reijnders and the elder brother of Eliano Reijnders, currently plying his trade at PEC Zwolle.
The former AC Milan player's unique first name, Tijjani, was inspired by none other than Nigerian football legend Tijani Babangida, despite having zero ties to the nation of Nigeria.
The story goes that Reijnders' parents, both football enthusiasts, were ardent fans of Babangida during his time at Ajax in the late 1990s.
With Babangida's explosive performance with De Godenzonen, where he scored 49 goals in 175 appearances and helped the Dutch club win the Eredivisie and two KNVB Cups, they decided to name their son after him, per Transfermarkt.
Source: Getty Images
Reijnders meets with Babangida
Manchester United midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has met with his role model, Tijani Babangida.
In a post on X, the 27-year-old was full of joy when his father displayed the Super Eagles legend in a video call.
This marks the first time the family of Reijnders and Tijani Babangida will be reconnecting years after departing Ajax.
Reijnders joins Manchester City
10-time English Premier League winners signed Tijjani Reijnders on a five-year contract.
According to BBC, the deal, reportedly worth £46.5 million, reflects City’s ongoing strategy of acquiring technically gifted midfielders capable of thriving in Pep Guardiola’s high-tempo, possession-dominant system.
Reijnders joined AC Milan in 2023 from AZ Alkmaar, impressed in his two seasons with the Serie A club, and is now set to make a mark on English football.
@MAQERI001 said:
"This guy is a baller 🔥."
@Just1_gentle wrote:
"Good he got connected to his parents here."
@YoungJonna22387 added:
"He's from Netherland and he's not from Nigeria.. his parents just named him after tijani babangida because he's their hero back then when TB is playing for Ajax in their home land🫶."
@lokofromekiti said:
"You’re right bro, am a big Ronaldo fan and named my son after him !
"My son must play football ⚽️."
Dutch club honour Tijani Babangida
Legit.ng earlier reported that Tijani Babangida was given a heroic welcome by his previous Dutch club, Roda JC, where he began his professional football career in the Netherlands.
The former Super Eagles winger, who now serves as president of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, was recently involved in a ghastly accident on the Kaduna-Zaria highway.
Source: Legit.ng
