Rinsola Babajide: Former Liverpool Forward Opens Up on Choosing Nigeria Over England
- Rinsola Babajide says switching her international allegiance from England to Nigeria is one of the best decisions of her football career
- The former Liverpool winger credits England for developing her game but says representing the Super Falcons has helped her grow both professionally and personally
- Babajide is now targeting back-to-back WAFCON titles as Nigeria prepares to defend its continental crown in Morocco
Former Liverpool forward Rinsola Babajide has revealed that choosing to represent Nigeria instead of England ranks among the best decisions she has ever made in football.
The Super Falcons winger says she feels privileged to have experienced the best of both nations, with England shaping her development as a young player before Nigeria gave her the opportunity to fulfil another lifelong dream on the international stage.
Source: Getty Images
Now an important member of the Super Falcons squad, Babajide believes her journey through two different football cultures has made her stronger both as a footballer and as a person.
From England to Super Falcons star
Born and raised in London to Nigerian parents, Babajide was eligible to represent either England or Nigeria at the international level, ESPN reports.
She initially chose England, progressing through the country's youth ranks and featuring for the Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 teams.
One of the highlights of that period came in 2018 when she helped England secure a bronze medal at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
At club level, Babajide steadily climbed the English football ladder with spells at Crystal Palace, Millwall Lionesses and Watford before earning a dream move to Liverpool in 2018.
Her time at Anfield proved pivotal.
The pacey winger enjoyed an impressive breakthrough campaign and finished the 2019/20 season as Liverpool Women's leading goalscorer, earning the club's Women's Player of the Season award.
However, her career took another exciting turn after joining Spanish side Real Betis in 2022, when she decided to switch her international allegiance to Nigeria.
The move was completed shortly afterwards, and she made her Super Falcons debut in 2023.
Babajide explains why Nigeria was the right choice
Speaking in an interview published by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Babajide reflected on the decision that changed the course of her international career.
Source: Getty Images
The 27-year-old stressed that she remains grateful to England for helping develop her talent but believes representing Nigeria has allowed her to continue growing on and off the pitch.
"I've been blessed to have the best of two worlds. England helped me develop my game from age-grade football; I am forever grateful for that. I have continued to grow as an experienced player with Nigeria and I do not take this for granted," Babajide said.
She added that the contrasting experiences in both countries have taught her valuable lessons about resilience, discipline and professionalism.
According to the winger, those qualities have helped shape her into a more complete footballer capable of handling the demands of elite international football.
Eyes set on defending Nigeria's African crown
Since joining the Super Falcons, Babajide has quickly become one of the team's influential attacking players.
She played an important role during Nigeria's successful 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco, announcing herself with a goal and an assist in the opening group-stage victory over Tunisia before contributing throughout the tournament as Nigeria lifted a record-extending 10th continental title.
Now, her attention has shifted to another major challenge.
With the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations set to take place in Morocco from July 26 to August 16, Babajide is determined to help Nigeria successfully defend their title.
The former Liverpool star insists the squad understands the expectations that come with wearing the famous green jersey and is fully focused on making Nigerians proud once again.
For Babajide, choosing Nigeria has not simply been an international switch, it has become one of the defining chapters of a career that continues to flourish on both the African and European stages.
Babajide aims dig at CAF
Earlier, Legit.ng highlighted facts about Babajide's strong reaction to the postponement of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), a decision made by the Confederation of African Football just days before the tournament was set to begin in Morocco.
The frustration among players, particularly the Super Falcons, underscores the disarray in handling one of Africa’s crucial women’s football events, raising questions about the future of the tournament and its significance for the athletes involved.
Source: Legit.ng
