Michael Olakigbe

Brentford

2022–23 season On 29 July 2022, Olakigbe transferred to the B team at Premier League club Brentford and signed a four-year contract, with the option of a further year, for an undisclosed fee. On 1 April 2023, Olakigbe won his maiden call into a first team matchday squad and he remained an unused substitute during a 3–3 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. He made 9 appearances during the B team's 2022–23 Premier League Cup-winning campaign and scored seven goals overall during the season. scoring two goals. He made his competitive debut for the club with a start in a EFL Cup second round shoot-out win over Newport County on 29 August 2023. On 30 January 2024, he joined League One club Peterborough United on loan until the end of the 2023–24 season. During a spell interrupted by suspension and injury, Olakigbe made just five appearances and was not involved in the club's unsuccessful playoff campaign.

2024–25 season and loans to Wigan Athletic and Chesterfield On 29 May 2024, Olakigbe joined League One club Wigan Athletic on loan for the duration of the 2024–25 season. In early July, an "innocuous challenge" during a practice match at the club's pre-season training camp resulted in Olakigbe missing the first six weeks of the regular season with a fractured fibula. He made 18 appearances and scored one goal prior to his recall on 27 January 2025. Four days later, Olakigbe joined League Two club Chesterfield on loan until the end of the 2024–25 season. He made 18 appearances and scored two goals during the remainder of the season, Following the expiry of the loan, Olakigbe played in the remainder of Brentford B's season and was part of the 2024–25 Professional Development League-winning squad.

2025–26 season and loan to Swindon Town Olakigbe played exclusively B team football during the first half of the 2025–26 season and he joined League Two club Swindon Town on loan on 2 January 2026. Deployed predominantly as a substitute, Olakigbe made 18 appearances and scored one goal during the remainder of a 2025–26 season in which the club fell short of the playoffs.

2026–27 season and loan to WSG Tirol On 30 June 2026, Olakigbe joined Austrian Bundesliga club WSG Tirol on loan for the duration of the 2026–27 season.

International career Olakigbe is eligible to represent England or Nigeria at international level. In September 2021, he won his first U18 call-up to a training camp and friendly versus Wales. He made his international debut as a half-time substitute for Samuel Mather during the 1–1 draw. Olakigbe won nine U18 caps and scored two goals during the 2021–22 season and was a part of the squad which emerged victorious in a four-nation tournament hosted in Zagreb in June 2022.

On 1 September 2023, Olakigbe won his maiden call into the U20 squad, for a training camp at St George's Park. One month later, he was called into the squad for the team's opening pair of Under 20 Elite League fixtures, both of which he appeared in.

Personal life Olakigbe is British born and of Nigerian descent. He grew up in Bexleyheath and his mother runs the Pro Ballers football academy in the area. Premier League

2023–24 Premier League

Peterborough United (loan) 2023–24 League One

Chesterfield (loan)

Swindon Town (loan) 2025–26 League Two