Waterford FC have announced that former Arsenal & Cheltenham Town midfielder James Olayinka has put pen to paper to become Keith Long’s second signing of the off-season.
The Arsenal academy graduate makes the move to the RSC, having come up through the ranks of the Gunners where he spent a large part of his career.
After signing his first professional contract with Arsenal at the beginning of 2019, Olayinka’s performances with their U23 side resulted in him being rewarded with an inclusion in the Gunners USA pre-season trip later that summer, where he bagged his first senior goal for the club with an excellent finish into the top-right corner in their 3-0 win over Colorado Rapids at DSG Park.
The following year James was named on the Arsenal bench for their FA Community Shield victory over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium, before heading out on loan to Northampton Town where he helped the Cobblers earn promotion to League One through the play-offs.
2021 saw the tough-tackling midfielder make the loan switch to Southend United where he made 20 appearances in League Two for the Shrimpers.
A permanent move to Cheltenham Town followed in 2022, where he played alongside now-fellow Blue Grant Horton before Grant made the move across to the League of Ireland.
Olayinka made 38 appearances in League One for Cheltenham Town over the course of two seasons, as he now makes the move across the Irish Sea to join Waterford FC ahead of the 2025 League of Ireland season.
Blues Head Coach Keith Long was delighted to have secured the services of the exciting Olayinka for 2025, commenting:
“James gives us a slightly different profile in the middle of the park. He’s a player that has been training with Fleetwood for the last month – He’s someone we’ve looked at since the summer, and obviously coming in now gives us a different option in our midfield.
He’s dynamic, he looks after the ball really well, he can get around the pitch very well, and of course he came up through Arsenal’s academy which is such a high-calibre academy where so many big names have come out of.
He’s been in Fleetwood getting his fitness for the last month to be ready to come in with us in January when we start pre-season.
I think the players and supporters will really be excited with what he can bring to the team. So, we’re delighted to have him in at the club.”
