Official: Super Eagles teenage defender joins Leeds United

The teen wonder enjoyed enjoyed a meteoric rise for club and country in 2025 and starts the new year with a big move to England 

Leeds United have completed the signing of Super Eagles and Remo Stars defender Leonard Ngenge, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Premier League club, via a statement on their official website, confirmed that the 18-year-old will join their academy set-up after agreeing a deal that runs until the end of the 2026–27 season.

The centre-back arrives in West Yorkshire from Nigerian champions Remo Stars, where he spent the first half of the current campaign and made seven appearances in all competitions.

Despite his age, Ngenge already carries rare senior experience, having been capped twice by Nigeria before his 18th birthday.

Born in 2007, the teenager’s rise has been fast and striking. He began last season with Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Premier Football League, where he made 25 league appearances and established himself as one of the most promising young defenders in the domestic game. That form earned him a move to Remo Stars in 2025.

He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut in a 4–0 CAF Champions League victory over US Zilimadjou, and quickly caught the attention of scouts from Europe. Leeds had already tracked him during the previous campaign and moved decisively to bring him to Thorp Arch once the opportunity arose.

In a statement, Leeds said: “Leeds United are pleased to announce the signing of Leonard Ngenge, who joins the club’s Academy after penning a deal until the end of the 2026/27 season.

“The defender makes the move from Nigeria having made seven appearances in all competitions this term for Remo Stars FC. The centre-back has featured twice for his country at senior level.”

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Leonard Ngenge: Early Super Eagles exposure and a long-term Leeds project

Ngenge’s international story is just as unusual as his club rise. He made his senior Nigeria debut aged only 17, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 defeat to Senegal, the reigning Africa Nations Championship champions.

A few days later, he featured for 45 minutes in a heavy loss to Sudan, a game in which he endured a difficult night, conceding a penalty and scoring an own goal.

Although he did not make Nigeria’s squad to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Leeds clearly believe the experience of senior international football at such a young age is a strong foundation for long-term development.

At Thorp Arch, Ngenge will initially continue his education in the academy system, but the pathway is clear. Should he progress into the under-21s, he could even find himself training alongside 37-year-old player-coach Jonny Howson, one of the club’s most experienced figures.

The Super Eagles star's signing also places him in rare company. Ngenge becomes only the third Nigerian international to join Leeds United, after Enoch Showunmi in 2008 and Sam Sodje in 2009.