Eni may have started her career in football representing England and Chelsea, but her influence transcends the pitch. Now a celebrated author, broadcaster, lawyer, and philanthropist, she works tirelessly to elevate women’s football and champion diversity. Her literary debut, ‘They Don’t Teach This,’ explores themes of identity, race, and institutional prejudice, challenging readers with its raw truths and life lessons.
Before retiring from professional football Aluko last played as a forward for Juventus. She has over 100 caps for England's senior team. She also played professionally for 3 years in the WPS league in USA, scoring 19 goals in 50 WPS appearances.
Eni played for Chelsea FC for over six years and during this period she won five trophies, including two domestic doubles. She was also part of the Chelsea team that reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in her final season at the club. In June 2018 she announced her transfer to Series A club and Italian Champions – Juventus FC Women.
Eni won a bronze medal with England at the World Cup in Canada, represented England in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2013 and also Team GB in London 2012. They won all 3 of their opening group matches without conceding a goal, beating New Zealand, Cameroon and Brazil. The game against Brazil was played in front of 75,000 at Wembley. SHe is now the director of women's football at Aston Villa.
She is no stranger to the media and was the first female football pundit to appear on Match of the Day 2 Extra. She also appears regularly on BBC World Have Your Say, MOTD Kickabout, Radio 5live’s Team Talk and Talksport. She ghas also contributed to ‘Bringing Books to Life’ for BBC Learning and BBC Two and has been Women’s Hour Guest Editor on BBC Radio 4. Eni was also the first female pundit on ITV’s coverage of the Men’s Euros and has covered the Women’s Euros on Channel 4.
As a qualified solicitor as well as former football player she has worked with the leading Media and Entertainment law firms representing some of the world’s highly acclaimed athletes, musicians, actors, producers and television personalities. This has provided a fitting opportunity for Eni to develop a future legal practice that utilises her first hand experiences as a professional footballer and serves the legal needs of individuals/companies in Sport and Entertainment.
Eni also introduced Hyphen, a lifestyle and culture brand celebrating individuals with dual heritage, bridging worlds through diverse products and online content.
Her philanthropic work with various charities bolsters projects that drive global change. A versatile trailblazer, Eni continues to inspire and challenge norms, fostering a more inclusive and compassionate world.
Her interests outside of football range from fashion to politics and her life motto is “Have a healthy disregard for the impossible”! An inspiring speaker!