Ex-Arsenal player explains abandoning Qatari riches for EFL transfer as promotion eyed

The 2024/25 League Two season gets underway on Friday night with newly-promoted Chesterfield hosting Swindon and Spireites midfielder Tim Akinola is buzzing for the campaign to start

Former Arsenal midfielder Tim Akinola is excited about the chance to revive his career in the EFL after swapping Qatari riches for League Two newboys Chesterfield.

Akinola, 23, left the Gunners in a permanent move last summer to explore a new chapter with Al-Bidda, who play in the Qatari Second Division. However, he struggled to adapt to life in the Middle East, making just ten appearances, scoring two goals and adding two assists before leaving the club back in January.

He returned to England but spent some time away from football before signing a one-year deal at Chesterfield following their promotion from the National League. Having spent the 2022/23 season on loan at the Spireites, it’s a club that Akinola already knows plenty about and he is buzzing to be back at the SMH Group Stadium ahead of the new campaign.

"I am so happy to be back at the club," Akinola told Mirror Sport. "I have been here before on loan and I really enjoyed it. I am really grateful to be here."

Akinola started his career having spent some time in the academy at Huddersfield and Lincoln among others before making a dream switch to Arsenal, aged 19, in 2020. He enjoyed a couple of memorable years in north London, playing for the Under 21s and training with the first team on a number of occasions. Despite this, Akinola never made a senior appearance for the club.

He went out on loan to Dundee United for the second half of the 2021/22 season and spent the following campaign on loan at Chesterfield for some much needed game time before deciding to make a shock move to Qatar.

Detailing his experience in the Gulf State, Akinola said: "It was completely different, the style of football and the pace of the game as you can imagine it is really hot.

"I think the intensity over there is a lot slower than it is over here in England because you can’t press as much. I would say that is one of the reasons why I decided to come back because I am more of a player that plays with a lot of intensity, so I seemed to get frustrated when I wanted to put more energy into it and it’s more relaxed over there. The English style suits me better."

A number of high-profile players - including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar - have moved to the Middle East in the past couple of years and there has been some criticism directed at those over why they have swapped high level European football for a league that has not got the same level of talent at its disposal. A gigantic wage increase has been suggested as a key reason why more are tempted to make the life-changing switch across.

And Akinola admitted he is someone that was lured in after being offered a lucrative, mega-money deal to move to Al-Bidda. He added: "When I went there, I didn’t go there for football, it was more for financial reasons and it made me realise how much I missed European football and how much I wanted to go back. I just felt that I couldn’t stick around, I have a lot of potential and I didn’t want to waste it going to the Middle East at this age."

Now, Akinola is back in England and ready to showcase his abilities in the fourth tier of English football, after Chesterfield ended their six-year stay in non-league last season. "I’m looking forward to it," he continued.

"I feel like the qualities I have could make me do really well and considering I have been at a club the size of Arsenal before I feel like the sky is my limit and I just need to put my head down and hopefully have a really good career."

A box-to-box midfielder, Akinola has already had a taste of playing at the highest level during his time at Arsenal and he is determined to get back to that one day, with a dream of playing in the Premier League a long-term ambition.

"I have seen a taste of that level in my three years at Arsenal and it’s something with hard work and dedication that I feel like I can get there and I do dream of it," Akinola added.

"I don't like to have a set goal but I do dream of being back at the top, top level. I feel like I have a point to prove and I really want to go back to the top. When you aren’t there, you realise how much of a good thing it is to be around there."

Akinola has impressed in pre-season for the Spireites and could make his second debut when they kickstart their League Two campaign with the visit of Swindon to the SMH Group Stadium on Friday evening. Looking ahead to the new season, Akinola is confident that Paul Cook’s side can mount another potential promotion push.

He finished: "I feel like with the squad we have got here, it’s a really good squad, and in my opinion it’s a promotion challenging side and we should be finishing in the top four of the table.

"Football doesn’t often work like that but I am just saying in terms of the players we have got in this team, we have some of the best individuals in the league and hopefully we can get to the level we want to. I am really excited."

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