Super Eagles and Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has announced his intention to prioritise the development of academy football in 2025, with a focus on investing in and nurturing young talent.
Wilfred Ndidi shared this vision while outlining his plans for 2025 during a live X Space session moderated by his Super Eagles teammate, Kenneth Omeruo, on Monday.
Ndidi stated, “I want to focus on academy football in Nigeria. That’s where everyone is missing out based on the fact that you cannot name a 16-year-old who plays competitive football every weekend in Nigeria.”
He drew comparisons with European teams, noting, “If you look at European teams, you can name 12-year-olds, and 14-year-olds playing games every week.”
Ndidi reflected on his own experiences, saying, “I am a product of the Lagos Junior League where we played in local government leagues with academy players. We played every weekend and we got the opportunity to travel to play the likes of Hull City Academy, Celtic Academy and the like, so those competitive games prepared us for games to come in Europe.”

He expressed concerns that the focus is often on established players rather than youth development, stating, “At the moment, everyone is focused on the end product and players playing abroad, but we forget about the young ones who want to play football.”
Ndidi also emphasized the importance of education, advising young players, “I always tell the kids not to focus all their energy on football alone but also to go to school because the opportunity to become a professional footballer is really slim.”
He concluded by outlining his goals for 2025, saying, “That’s my aim in 2025. My main focus is to invest in young players and teach them how to understand the dynamics of football at a young age and not necessarily play for agents.”
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