Isaac Success

Nigerian footballer (born 1996)

Isaac SuccessPersonal information

Full name|  Isaac Success Ajayi[1]
Date of birth|  (1996-01-07) 7 January 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth|  Benin City, Nigeria
Height|  1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)|  Forward
Team information

Current team

|  Udinese
Number|  7
Youth career
|  BJ Foundation
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
2014–2015|  Granada B|  20|  (9)
2014–2016|  Granada|  49|  (7)
2016–2021|  Watford|  64|  (3)
2018|  → Málaga (loan)|  9|  (0)
2021–|  Udinese|  53|  (3)
International career‡
2013|  Nigeria U17|  7|  (7)
2015–2016|  Nigeria U20|  4|  (2)
2017–|  Nigeria|  4|  (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 August 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 August 2022

Isaac Success Ajayi (born 7 January 1996) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Udinese.

## Club career[edit]

Success was born in Benin City. He started his career with local side BJ Foundation Academy appearing regularly for the side.[2]

In November 2013 Success agreed to a five-year deal with Udinese, starting January 2014,[3] for a €400,000 fee.[4] However, he was only granted a work permit in March of the following year,[5] and immediately joined Granada CF, being assigned to the reserves in Segunda División B.[6]

On 31 August 2014, Success made his first-team debut, starting in a 1–1 away draw against Elche CF at the age of 18 years and seven months,[7] being their youngest player ever to appear in a La Liga match.[8] He scored his first professional goal on 7 December, netting his side's only of a home draw against Valencia CF, for the same scoreline.[9] On 7 August 2015, Success extended his link with the club, signing until 2019 and being permanently promoted to the main squad.[10]

On 1 July 2016, Success agreed a five-year deal with Watford in a record transfer fee, estimated around £12.5 million from Granada.[11] He scored once in 19 appearances in the 2016–17 season and, after just one appearance in 2017–18 was loaned to Malaga on 31 January 2018.[12]

On 26 August 2021, Success signed for Italian club Udinese on a three-year deal.[13][14]

## International career[edit]

In 2013 Success was called up to Nigeria under-17's for the year's FIFA U-17 World Cup, being also named vice-captain. He appeared in the first two games, but was sidelined during the rest of the tournament due to an injury.[15] Success got his first call up to the senior Nigeria side for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zambia in October 2016.[16] On 23 March 2017, Success made his debut for Nigeria, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Senegal at The Hive Stadium in London.[17]

## Career statistics[edit]

### Club[edit]

As of match played 23 April 2023[18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition  Club  | Season  | League  | National Cup  | League Cup  | Other  | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|

Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
Granada B | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 5 | 3
2014–15 | 15 | 6 | — | — | — | 15 | 6
Total  | 20 | 9 | — | — | — | 20 | 9
Granada | 2014–15[19] | La Liga | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 1
2015–16[20] | 30 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 6
Total  | 49 | 7 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 56 | 7
Watford | 2016–17[21] | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 1
2017–18[22] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0
2018–19[23] | 30 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 35 | 4
2019–20[24] | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0
2020–21[25] | Championship | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 1
Total  | 63 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 6
Málaga (loan)  | 2017–18 | La Liga  | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0
Udinese | 2021–22[26] | Serie A | 22 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 3
2022–23[27] | 30 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 2
Total  | 52 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 5
Career total  | 193 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 212 | 27

## Honours[edit]

Watford

* FA Cup runner-up: 2018–19[28]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Squads for 2016/17 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
2. ^ Eaglets Striker Close To Udinese Deal Archived 29 August 2014 at archive.today; Complete Sports Nigeria, 10 June 2013
3. ^ Isaac Success Confirms He Will Join Udinese In January; All Nigeria Soccer, 12 November 2013
4. ^ Isaac Success, la nuova scommessa dell'Udinese (Isaac Success, Udinese's new bet); Tutto Udinese, 26 May 2013 (in Italian)
5. ^ Isaac Success gets work permit today; The Nation Online, 14 March 2014
6. ^ Success Isaac y Uche Agbo: nuevos jugadores del Granada CF (Success Isaac and Uche Agbo: new player of Granada CF) Archived 3 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Granada's official website, 18 March 2014 (in Spanish)
7. ^ Elche snatch last-gasp equalsier; ESPN FC, 31 August 2014
8. ^ Success, jugador más joven en debutar en Primera con el Granada (Success, the youngest player to debut in Primera with Granada); Marca, 1 September 2014 (in Spanish)
9. ^ Granada 1–1 Valencia; ESPN FC, 7 December 2014
10. ^ Isaac Success un año más de contrato (Isaac Success one more year of contract)[permanent dead link]; Granada's official website, 7 August 2015 (in Spanish)
11. ^ "Official: Isaac Success joins Watford FC". Watford F.C. Club Journalist. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
12. ^ "Watford: Isaac Success joins Malaga on loan". BBC Sport. 31 January 2018.
13. ^ "Official: Udinese Switch For Success". Watford FC. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
14. ^ "Success è un nuovo giocatore dell'Udinese" (in Italian). Udinese Calcio. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
15. ^ Isaac Success fit for U-17 World Cup final; Goal.com, 8 November 2013
16. ^ "Mikel Obi, Musa, Ikeme 20 others To battle Zambia". thenff.com. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
17. ^ "Nigeria 1 Senegal 1: Iheanacho earns a draw for Super Eagles". Goal. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
18. ^ "I. Success". Soccerway. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
19. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
20. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
21. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
22. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
23. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
24. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
25. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
26. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
27. ^ "Games played by Isaac Success in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
28. ^ McNulty, Phil (18 May 2019). "Manchester City 6–0 Watford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2019.

## External links[edit]

* Profile at the Udinese Calcio website (in Italian)
* Isaac Success at BDFutbol
* Isaac Success at Soccerbase
* Isaac Success at Soccerway

* v
* t
* e

Udinese Calcio - current squad

* 1 Silvestri
* 2 Ebosele
* 4 Lovrić
* 6 Zarraga
* 7 Success
* 9 Davis
* 10 Deulofeu
* 11 Walace
* 12 Kamara
* 13 Ferreira
* 14 Abankwah
* 16 Tikvić
* 17 Lucca
* 18 Pérez
* 19 Ehizibue
* 22 Brenner
* 23 Ebosse
* 24 Samardžić
* 26 Thauvin
* 27 Kabasele
* 29 Bijol
* 30 Giannetti
* 31 Kristensen
* 32 Payero
* 33 Zemura
* 37 Pereyra
* 40 Okoye
* 77 Asante
* 79 Pejičić
* 93 Padelli
* Manager: Cannavaro

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Asante]: Raymond Asante