Nigeria-eligible teenager leaves Liverpool academy to sign first professional contract in Spain

NIGERIA-eligible teenage winger Elijah Gift is all set to leave English Premier League side Liverpool for Spanish club Athletic Bilbao having already undergone a medical and put pen to paper on a five year contract.

Gift, 17, is a promising dashing winger with pace and panache who came through the Liverpool youth ranks. He has now signed his first professional contract with Athletic Bilbao that will enable him featu7re in La Liga and is just waiting for clearance from football's governing body Fifa to complete the deal.

Under the terms of the contract, Gift will remain on the books of Athletic Bilbao until the end of the 2027/28 season. Gift is eligible to represent Nigeria at international level through his father but he is leaning towards committing his future to Spain having accepted an invitation to train with his country of birth before the 2023 European U17 Championship.

Spotted early on by a talent scout, the exciting winger joined Liverpool at U12 level from the academy team of Huddersfield Town.  English-based Nigerian agent Tobi Alabi of General Sports Magna, brokered the deal that took Gift to Athletic Bilbao.