Aged just 12 when he first walked through the Compton Park gates, Ojinnaka has progressed through the academy system over the last few years.
Versatile in midfield and the heart of the defence, the 17-year-old has demonstrated the tools required to enable him to advance to this point in his career, having initially been spotted by the local recruitment team and provided with an opportunity.
Ojinnaka moved up to the under-18s as a 15-year-old and hasn’t looked back, becoming a regular feature at that level and also tasting under-21s football in recent times, again emphasising the important role that knowledge of the local area can play in recruiting young talent.
Having now been rewarded with a professional deal, academy manager for football, Jon Hunter-Barrett, said: “Temple has been at the football club for a while. It’s a great opportunity for him to sign on professional terms.
“It wasn’t an easy registration process for him given we had to apply for international clearance when he first came into the club.
“For him to now be in a position where he’s signed a professional contract is great for him. Temple’s six foot two, strong and quick, and will add that into the under-21s side moving forward.”
Hunter-Barrett has highlighted Ojinnaka’s versatility as a real key attribute, allowing him to be flexible as a player and provide the seamless transition into another position if required. While becoming a regular for the 21s is the aim for Ojinnaka, he will continue to develop and play matches for the under-18s to focus on mastering his qualities at central defence.
“He’s a very versatile player who can play at the back and looks really comfortable playing there, but throughout his development time here he’s been playing in midfield.
“Temple’s still in transition so he will still feature for James McPike’s under-18s this season and predominately play at the back because we think he’s got a big chance of being able to play there.”
