Isaac Success
Nigerian footballer (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Isaac Success Ajayi (born 7 January 1996) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward. He is currently a free agent.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Isaac Success Ajayi[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 7 January 1996[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Benin City, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| BJ Foundation | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2015 | Granada B | 20 | (9) |
| 2014–2016 | Granada | 49 | (7) |
| 2016–2021 | Watford | 64 | (3) |
| 2018 | → Málaga (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2021–2024 | Udinese | 79 | (4) |
| 2024–2025 | Al Wasl | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2013 | Nigeria U17 | 7 | (7) |
| 2015–2016 | Nigeria U20 | 4 | (2) |
| 2017–2022 | Nigeria | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 24 August 2024 | |||
Early and personal life
Isaac Success Ajayi was born on 7 January 1996 in Benin City, Nigeria. He started his football career with local youth side BJ Foundation Academy, and appeared regularly for the team as a young player.[3]
Club career
In November 2013, Success signed a pre-contract agreement with Italian side Udinese, which would be effective from January 2014,[4] for a €400,000 fee.[5] However, he was only granted a work permit in March of the following year,[6] and immediately joined Spanish club Granada, being assigned to the reserves in Segunda División B.[7]
On 31 August 2014, Success made his first-team debut, starting in a 1–1 away draw against Elche at the age of 18 years and seven months,[8] being their youngest player ever to appear in a La Liga match.[9] He scored his first professional goal on 7 December, netting his side's only of a home draw against Valencia, for the same scoreline.[10] On 7 August 2015, Success extended his contract with the club, signing a four-year until 2019 and being subsequently promoted to the main squad.[11]
On 1 July 2016, Success agreed a five-year deal with English Premier League side Watford in a record transfer fee, estimated around £12.5 million from Granada.[12] He scored just once in 19 appearances in the 2016–17 season and, after just one appearance for the team in the 2017–18 season, was loaned back to Spain, joining Málaga on 31 January 2018 until the remainder of the season.[13]
On 26 August 2021, Success left Watford after a five-year spell, signing for Italian club Udinese on a three-year deal, the club he was previously linked to years before.[14][15]
On 27 August 2024, Udinese terminated Success's contract by mutual consent, making him a free agent.[16]
In October 2024, two months after leaving Udinese as a free agent, it was announced that Success had signed for highly decorated Emirati club Al-Wasl on a free transfer.[17]
International career
In 2013 Success was called up to Nigeria under-17's for the year's FIFA U-17 World Cup, being also named vice-captain. He appeared in the first two games, but was sidelined during the rest of the tournament due to an injury.[18] Success got his first call up to the senior Nigeria side for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zambia in October 2016.[19] On 23 March 2017, Success made his debut for Nigeria, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Senegal at The Hive Stadium in London.[20]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 19 May 2024[21]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Granada B | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | |||
| 2014–15 | 15 | 6 | — | — | — | 15 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 20 | 9 | — | — | — | 20 | 9 | |||||
| Granada | 2014–15[22] | La Liga | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16[23] | 30 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 49 | 7 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 56 | 7 | ||||
| Watford | 2016–17[24] | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 1 | |
| 2017–18[25] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19[26] | 30 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 35 | 4 | |||
| 2019–20[27] | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21[28] | Championship | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 1 | ||
| Total | 64 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | 72 | 6 | |||
| Málaga (loan) | 2017–18 | La Liga | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Udinese | 2021–22[29] | Serie A | 22 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 3 | ||
| 2022–23[30] | 30 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 2 | ||||
| 2023–24[31] | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 79 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 83 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 220 | 23 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 239 | 28 | ||
