Real Valladolid winger Babatunde Akinsola insisted that the competitive format of The Creative Championship League helped prepare him for top level.
The 21-year-old who is currently on loan to Portuguese second division club AVS Futebol SAD said the introduction of several individual awards for players made it competitive and he looked forward to every league game at the time.
“I enjoyed the league because it was quite different from other leagues organised in Lagos,” he said in an interview with TCC Media team.
“This is a league that recognised player of the match, player of the month and other performance-based metrics with accolades through the season, and this gives all the players a sense of competition and motivation to put in our best in all the games.”
Before leaving for Europe, Babatunde’s standout performance in the 2020/2021 TCC League season earned him multiple man of the match awards.
Asked how the league helped prepare him for the tough tests in the professional scene, the Lagos-born winger said “the league made it competitive for us and this brings out the best in me. I always want to step out and just play my very best.”
Despite being away from the country, Babatunde remains a supporter of the league and his alma mater, Valiant FC.
Babatunde joined the youth academy of Swedish second-tier club Vasalunds IF in 2020. He made his professional debut on August 4, 2021, coming on as a late substitute in a 1-0 home loss to Helsingborgs IF in the Superettan. After returning to Valiant FC in September 2022, Babatunde secured a move to Spanish La Liga side Real Valladolid, marking a significant milestone in his career.
