A former Nigeria U17 defender who was once a teammate of Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is relishing the latest chapter of his career in the Irish League.
Jason Akiotu, who joined Portadown on Sunday, spent seven years with the Crystal Palace academy and has also played for Farsley, Finchley, Hyde United and Widnes.
The 24-year-old also spent a trial period with Leicester City in 2016 when he played for the U21s alongside Harvey Barnes and against the likes of former Liverpool winger Ryan Kent and ex-Chelsea striker Timmy Abraham.
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On joining Portadown, Akiotu, who plays predominantly at left-back, told We Are Ports TV: “I heard about the interest at the back end of June and did my research on the club.
“I found out that Portadown has a great history so it was a bit of a ‘no brainer’ to come here and see how the club was and how I could fit in.”
Akiotu, from Croydon in London, featured regularly alongside Wan-Bissaka for Crystal Palace's underage teams and was invited to train with the Nigerian under-17 squad in 2014.
Following his release from Palace in 2017, he would go on to have spells with Finchley, Hyde United, Farsley Celtic and most recently Widnes in non-league football.
Asked what Portadown fans can expect from him next season, Akiotu said: “I’m a player that likes to create chances for my teammates and I also know how to defend well.
“Playing for a top academy (at Crystal Palace) in England allowed me to develop immensely and also going into non-league helped me learn my trade in men’s football.
“I think I’m well rounded to play in this league now and from the moment I stepped in (at Portadown) training has been good and very intense. I’m looking forward to working with the management team and having a good season.”
Akiotu was one of two weekend arrivals at Shamrock Park alongside young Bourneview Mill forward Jack Evans who also put pen-to-paper for the Shamrock Park club.
The two new signings join defender Lee Upton, striker Alberto Balde and midfielder Leo Donnellan who have also been added to Paul Doolin 's squad in recent weeks.
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