Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi will play Premier League football again after Hull City secured promotion with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.
Ajayi featured for the full 90 minutes as Hull held their nerve in front of more than 84,000 fans, before Oli McBurnie scored a stoppage-time winner in the 95th minute to send the Tigers back to the English top flight.
Hull finished sixth in the Championship regular season but produced a strong play-off run, including a 2-0 victory over Millwall in the semi-finals, before completing the job at Wembley.
The promotion marks Hull City’s return to the Premier League for the first time since the 2016/17 season, ending a nine-year wait for top-flight football.
For Ajayi, it is also a personal return to the Premier League. The 32-year-old last played in the division with West Bromwich Albion during the 2020/21 campaign, making 33 appearances and scoring twice.
He will now join a growing list of Super Eagles stars in the Premier League, including Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi and Frank Onyeka.
Hull City will join Coventry City and Ipswich Town as the three clubs promoted from the Championship ahead of the new Premier League season.
