Isaac Success Ajayi (born 7 January 1996) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Al Wasl as a forward.

Isaac Success
Personal information
Full name Isaac Success Ajayi[1]
Date of birth (1996-01-07) 7 January 1996 (age 28)[2]
Place of birth Benin City, Nigeria
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Al Wasl
Number 90
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)
2018Málaga (loan) 9 (0)
2021–2024 Udinese 79 (4)
2024– Al Wasl 1 (1)
International career
2013 Nigeria U17 7 (7)
2015–2016 Nigeria U20 4 (2)
2017– Nigeria 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 August 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 August 2022

Club career

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Success was born in Benin City. He started his career with local side BJ Foundation Academy appearing regularly for the side.[3]

In November 2013 Success agreed to a five-year deal with Udinese, starting 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 Granada CF, 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 CF 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 CF, for the same scoreline.[10] On 7 August 2015, Success extended his link with the club, signing until 2019 and being permanently promoted to the main squad.[11]

On 1 July 2016, Success agreed a five-year deal with Watford in a record transfer fee, estimated around £12.5 million from Granada.[12] He scored once in 19 appearances in the 2016–17 season and, after just one appearance in 2017–18 was loaned to Malaga on 31 January 2018.[13]

On 26 August 2021, Success signed for Italian club Udinese on a three-year deal.[14][15]

On 27 August 2024, his contract with Udinese was terminated by mutual consent.[16]

International career

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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.[17] Success got his first call up to the senior Nigeria side for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zambia in October 2016.[18] 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.[19]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 19 May 2024[20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
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[21] La Liga 19 1 4 0 23 1
2015–16[22] 30 6 3 0 33 6
Total 49 7 7 0 56 7
Watford 2016–17[23] Premier League 19 1 0 0 0 0 19 1
2017–18[24] 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
2018–19[25] 30 1 3 1 2 2 35 4
2019–20[26] 5 0 1 0 1 0 7 0
2020–21[27] 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[28] Serie A 22 2 2 1 24 3
2022–23[29] 30 1 2 1 32 2
2023–24[30] 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

Honours

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Watford

References

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  1. ^ "Squads for 2016/17 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Isaac Success". Premier League. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  3. ^ Eaglets Striker Close To Udinese Deal Archived 29 August 2014 at archive.today; Complete Sports Nigeria, 10 June 2013
  4. ^ Isaac Success Confirms He Will Join Udinese In January; All Nigeria Soccer, 12 November 2013
  5. ^ Isaac Success, la nuova scommessa dell'Udinese (Isaac Success, Udinese's new bet); Tutto Udinese, 26 May 2013 (in Italian)
  6. ^ Isaac Success gets work permit today; The Nation Online, 14 March 2014
  7. ^ Success Isaac y Uche Agbo: nuevos jugadores del Granada CF (Success Isaac and Uche Agbo: new player of Granada CF) Archived 3 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Granada's official website, 18 March 2014 (in Spanish)
  8. ^ Elche snatch last-gasp equalsier; ESPN FC, 31 August 2014
  9. ^ Success, jugador más joven en debutar en Primera con el Granada (Success, the youngest player to debut in Primera with Granada); Marca, 1 September 2014 (in Spanish)
  10. ^ Granada 1–1 Valencia; ESPN FC, 7 December 2014
  11. ^ Isaac Success un año más de contrato (Isaac Success one more year of contract)[permanent dead link]; Granada's official website, 7 August 2015 (in Spanish)
  12. ^ "Official: Isaac Success joins Watford FC". Watford F.C. Club Journalist. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Watford: Isaac Success joins Malaga on loan". BBC Sport. 31 January 2018.
  14. ^ "Official: Udinese Switch For Success". Watford FC. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Success è un nuovo giocatore dell'Udinese" (in Italian). Udinese Calcio. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Club statement: Isaac Success". Udinese. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  17. ^ Isaac Success fit for U-17 World Cup final; Goal.com, 8 November 2013
  18. ^ "Mikel Obi, Musa, Ikeme 20 others To battle Zambia". thenff.com. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 27 January 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  19. ^ "Nigeria 1 Senegal 1: Iheanacho earns a draw for Super Eagles". Goal. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  20. ^ "I. Success". Soccerway. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  23. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  24. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  25. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  26. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  27. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  28. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  29. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  30. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  31. ^ McNulty, Phil (18 May 2019). "Manchester City 6–0 Watford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
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