Which former footballer is Man City's new star Tijjani Reijnders named after?

The Dutch midfielder is reportedly joining Manchester City from AC Milan.

Tijjani Reijnders, Manchester City’s reported newest addition, has made headlines for both his intriguing backstory and his £46.3 million transfer from AC Milan.

Although the 26-year-old Dutch midfielder is anticipated to strengthen the Cityzens’ team for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, football fans worldwide have taken notice of his Nigerian-sounding first name.

Reijnders’ first name, Tijjani, pays homage to a former Super Eagles winger, Tijani Babangida, a Nigerian icon who once blazed the Dutch Eredivisie with AFC Ajax, even though he has no Nigerian ancestry.

Tijjani Reijnders was born in the Netherlands and was raised in a family that loves football. His father, Martin Reijnders, was an experienced striker who spent twenty years playing for several Dutch clubs.

However, Martin and his spouse first came into contact with the genius of Babangida, the dynamic Nigerian winger, when they were supporters of Ajax Amsterdam.

They chose to give their son the name after Tijjani Babangida because they were so impressed by his effect at Ajax, where the Super Eagles icon scored 49 goals in 175 games and helped the Dutch team win the Eredivisie and two KNVB Cups.

“There was a football player from Ajax, and his name was Tijani Babangida. My parents liked his first name, so now, it’s me,” Tijjani Reijnders said in a video posted by the Soar Super Eagles’ X account.

Although Tijjani is widely used in West African and Islamic societies, especially among the Yoruba people of Nigeria, it is not commonly used in Dutch naming customs.

When Reijnders became well-known in Italy with AC Milan, this made his name even more distinctive and sparked interest in his background.

According to the BBC, Manchester City moved swiftly to sign Reijnders before the Club World Cup after midfielder Mateo Kovacic sustained an injury.

After moving from AZ Alkmaar to AC Milan in 2023, Reijnders made an impression over his two seasons with the Serie A team and is now poised to leave his name on English football.

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