Sporting Clube Esmoriz of Portugal youngster, Isa Rilwan Ayodele has revealed how he is settling down fast at the regional league club less than a year after joining the team, Sports247 reports.
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Ayodele travelled to the Aviero First Regional Division outfit on September 20th, 2025 alongside four other lads from Tonic FC of Ikorodu – Oyetola Ayomide Ayuba, Okoye Gideon Oseghale, Adebowale Sheriff Olamide and Onuoha Chidiebere Fabian.
He thanked his teammates, officials, and coach of the side, Narcismo Ratinho, for helping him settle down fast at the midstream club – whose environment he described as really nice, good and exciting
However, the youngster, who cited his childhood mentor, Tony Agioke and the general overseer of Tonic FC, Mr Dapo Ajibade as his biggest motivators during his days in Nigeria, admitted that settling down at Esmoriz has also been tough.
He disclosed that, while he enjoys the environment and training style of the club’s technical crew, it has not been easy coping with the atmosphere, mostly because of the cold weather.
Ayodele disclosed at length in a video message acquired by Sports247: “I started my journey at Tonic football club in Ikorodu, from where I travelled to Portugal alongside four other players.
“Now I’m growing up fast at Sporting Clube Esmoriz. It’s been really nice, really good and exciting; but it’s not easy to chase your dreams in Europe.
“It’s difficult to showcase your talent here because the weather is really harsh. It has not been easy at all, but I have been able to adapt.
“The style of play at my club is good. The officials encourage me, and my teammates are very friendly. The training is wonderful, and the instructions given by the coach are useful.
“The coach’s training pattern has helped me increase my speed, my marking, ball control and total impact while playing. Everything here encourages me to grow in football.”
Ayodele’s progression was also hailed by one of his childhood mentors, Tony Agioke, who used to be a goalkeeper with Jegede Boys FC of Isolo – alongside the like of Ejike Emmanuel, Peter Ijeh, Victor Agali, Emeka Ugali et al.
“This boy was one of the revelations in an under-10 competition that I organised in 1995, and I got publicity for them in Complete Football Extra, which was the most popular sports newspaper of that time.
“I am happy to see that the small boy of then has become a man and he is now becoming a star in Portugal. I pray that God will continue to shape his development as a footballer,” Agioke sermonised.
