Ainsley Maitland-Niles is a professional footballer who is currently playing for Arsenal under the Premier League. The talented and versatile Maitland-Niles plays both central midfielder and right-back. He is also often deployed as a left wing-back. During his amateur football days, he played for the England national team.
The young Maitland-Niles was born in the charming town of Goodmayes in Greater London but was raised in bustling Edmonton. He comes of Jamaican descent and was raised by his mother, Jule Niles, together with his brother. Since the age of six, Maitland-Niles showed his commitment to playing football by joining Arsenal’s academy.
It was in 2013 when Maitland-Niles joined the Under 21 team of the Arsenal Club. By October of 2014, he signed his first professional contract with the same club and made his professional debut by December of the same year. He was 17 years at that time and became the second-youngest player to play in the UEFA Champions League for Arsenal. Four days after the Champions League, he made his debut in the Premier League, wherein the Arsenal won against Newcastle United.
| Team |
Olympique Lyonnais
|
| Position | Midfielder |
| Born | 29 Aug 1997 |
| Nationality |
England
|
| Team History | |
|
Lyon
|
2023 - present |
Southampton
|
2022 - 2023 (loan) |
Arsenal
|
2014 - 2023 |
AS Roma
|
2022 (loan) |
West Brom
|
2021 (loan) |
Ipswich
|
2015 - 2016 (loan) |
In the 2015-2016 seasons, he was loaned to Ipswich Town wherein he was praised for his outstanding performance. After this season, he returned to Arsenal and signed a long-term contract with the club in 2018. In 2020, Arsenal won its 14th FA Cup and during the finals game with Chelsea, Maitland-Niles was part of the start-up. By 2021, he was loaned to West Bromwich Albion and made his debut in February 7. He will be part of the team until the end of the season. From 2014 or during the start of his senior football career, he made a total of 5 goals. Two of these were made during his time with Ipswich Town while the rest was when he was with Arsenal.
In addition to his professional career with Arsenal, Maitland-Niles is also part of the English National Team. He started being part of the team in 2017.
Career Highlights:
- 2017 champion FIFA U-20 World Cup
