Meet David Ajiboye: The National League Lionel Messi

Meet David Ajiboye: The National League Lionel Messi

Mark Hughes has seen his fair share of extraordinary happenings over a managerial career spanning six Premier League clubs. It's not every day, or even every season, that you see a player collect the ball deep within his own half, surpass a whole team, and score at the other end.

That is what Carlisle United’s David Ajiboye did in last Saturday’s away trip to Forest Green Rovers. Flipping a promising home attack into an away strike in 12 seconds, the 27-year-old darted up the pitch, skipping past slide tackles, and outpacing opponents before topping it off with a sublime left-footed finish.

Stephen Wearne couldn’t quite believe what he had seen: hands upon his head, Ajiboye’s teammate had run alongside him for part of the run, offering himself as a passing option that simply wasn’t required. Wearne later described it as one of the best goals he’d seen at this level in a post-match interview with the club.

A sensational solo goal from @D_ajiboyee 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/AWOT3mbVLm

— Carlisle United (@officialcufc) February 14, 2026

The Carlisle Cristiano

Many Carlisle fans might have forgotten the speedy winger existed. Starting just one league game between early September and mid-January, Ajiboye was reduced to a squad role, struggling to pick up minutes after signing a two-year contract with the Cumbrians in the summer.

David Ajiboye before and after new years #cufc pic.twitter.com/iLXbGUaDMT

— Mitchell Graves (@mitchgravesy) February 14, 2026

Then came a home match at Altrincham on the 31st of January. In light of a heavy 3-0 home defeat to York City, Hughes switched up his attacking and handed Ajiboye another opportunity to kick-start his Carlisle career.

He took it within half an hour, scoring and assisting in the first half, helping his team to a 3-1 win. The five-foot-eight assassin struck again 10 days later, scoring a second-half brace in a 3-2 home win over Scunthorpe United.

Two second half goals from David Ajiboye secures a massive win for Carlisle😤@officialcufc | @NL_Enterprise pic.twitter.com/BDgYc7pbva

— National League on DAZN (@DAZN_NationalLg) February 10, 2026

In the space of two and a half weeks, Ajiboye had scored his first four goals in a Carlisle shirt, creating two assists along the way. The nifty individual hit his peak in Gloucestershire last weekend, recording five successful dribbles, causing havoc on the right flank.

From the South Coast to Cumbria

Carlisle knew the player they were signing last year, after all, Ajiboye has 137 appearances in the Football League, and heading into his prime years, looked set to tear up England’s fifth tier.

Signing his first professional contract at Brighton & Hove Albion, the then teenager never played for the club, and found himself at nearby Isthmian Premier team Worthing upon his release from the Seagulls. In one season in the seventh level of the pyramid, Ajiboye scored 21 goals in 45 games for the Rebels, earning a move to Sutton United.

In South London, Ajiboye would be a constant fixture in the Sutton starting line-up, and after two seasons, he helped them reach the EFL for the first time. The Bromley-born man would then score eight goals in the 2021/22 League Two campaign, in one of his greatest years to date.

Pure class from David Ajiboye 🪄#AmberArmy | #SuttonUnited | #ForeverAmber 💛 pic.twitter.com/IFY5Fr7Tfx

— Sutton United (@suttonunited) May 25, 2025

Gradually creeping further up the football pyramid, as many players do, Peterborough United were Ajiboye’s next employers. He would play 55 games for the Posh in his first full season at the club, proving himself to be a worthy League One footballer.

Loan spells at Newport County and York City followed last season, at York, Ajiboye reunited with Adam Hinshelwood, who he had previously worked with in Brighton’s academy and in his early years at Worthing. Clearly out of favour in Peterborough, his contract with the club was not renewed. He would then go more Northern than ever before, in fact, pretty much as North as it gets in England, joining Carlisle United as a free agent.

Ajiboye was drafted in by Hughes due to his experience gaining promotion to the promised land with Sutton and his knowledge of competing at higher levels. After his spectacular effort last weekend, Carlisle now sits third in the National League, leading the pack that chases the top two.

A look at the tables after another crazy weekend! 👊

Powered by @TICHealth ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/o7DVy7sSoc

— Enterprise National League (@NL_Enterprise) February 15, 2026

With 65 points from 32 games, the Cumbrians are nine points from York City and Rochdale, who have both earned 74 points respectively. Firmly rooted in the promotion picture, Ajiboye’s form might be the perfect antidote to spur Carlisle into the last few months of the season, and with just one automatic promotion spot up for grabs, Hughes will certainly need all the help he can get.