FC Tulsa head coach, Michael Nsien has hailed the uncommon qualities of Akinpelu and has asserted that the Canadian youngster would make significant impact at the club having been promoted to the senior team.
FC Tulsa acquired the services of Canadian young striker, Promise Akinpelu in April this year as they continue to rejig the squad ahead of the 2021 season after the player passed his trials with the club.
But the player along with his two other teammates who were offered places in their academy team and his coach, Nsien told the club’s official media that Akinpelu’s doggedness and his willingness to learn will make him go far in his chosen profession.
Akinpelu who trained with the club during the preseason impressed the top officials of FC Tulsa was offered a contract after the league and the federation’s approval.
“Jesus and Piercen have been with us since the beginning of preseason,” FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien told the club’s official website.
“He has shown the ability to compete, improve, and adapt to a professional environment. Promise came in and really impressed us, at such a young age, he can physically compete at this level. This environment will be great for all of our academy players to develop rapidly.”
Akinpelu, a 20-year-old Canadian, hails from Brampton, Ontario, and was a member of Toronto FC’s Academy from 2012-2015. Following his time in the Academy system for TFC, Akinpelu played for a local club, Vaughan Azzurri, that competes in League1 Ontario. While with Vaughan, Akinpelu was a part of two League1 Ontario Championship teams (2016, 2018) and two L1 Cup winners (2016, 2018).
Prior to joining FC Tulsa, Akinpelu played in the Treća HNL, the Croatian third division, for NK Trnje.
Akinpelu who was unveiled alongside Jesus Hernandez and Piercen Fisher have teamed up with Martin Martinez-Leyva and Tony Mota as Academy Contract players on FC Tulsa’s roster, and are native to Tulsa apart from Akinpelu.
Ciaran Winters, who was the club’s first Academy player, signed in 2020, made his professional debut last Saturday in FC Tulsa’s 3-1 victory over OKC Energy FC, and Akinpelu and the other newly signed academy players will look forward to such a chance too after their promotion to the senior team.
