South London has rightfully garnered much attention in years for the continued success in developing footballers for the professional game. High profile names such as Jadon Sancho, Joe Gomez, Reiss Nelson and Callum Hudson-Odoi all hail from South London as an exciting cohort of young, exciting footballers. Deji Oshilaja is a professional footballer that currently plays for South London League One Charlton Atheltic. However, Deji’s footballing journey does not start in in the bright red corner of Charlton’s in New Eltham where the club’s academy is based but in the blue corner of south London rivals Millwall from the sunny and ever so tropical Bermondsey.
Deji, who grew up living a two-minute walk away from the home of Millwall FC was one of the first to attend the Millwall Premier League Kicks programme, after the programme first launched in 2007 in Southwark. The first two venues for the Millwall Kicks programme were the Damilola Taylor Centre in Peckham and Redriff Primary School in Rotherhithe.
Like many that derive from South London, Deji had many of the exciting, street football skills that have become high commodity in football today. He immediately caught the attention of the coaches on the Kicks programme. However, it was thew attention of Cardiff City that Deji captured aged 16. Deji progressed through the club’s academy and signed his first professional contract in April 2012.
After making his debut in August 2012 against Macclesfield, Deji had several loans to Football League clubs such as Newport County, Sheffield Wednesday, Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon, where he would be able to garner experience needed as a young centre back. After making twenty-three appearance for the AFC Wimbeldon, Deji’s performance saw him being awarded Natalie Callow Memorial Trophy for AFCW Young Player of the Year.
On 8 June 2017, Deji agreed a deal to join AFC Wimbledon on 1 July, following the expiration of his contract with Cardiff. He was named captain for AFC Wimbledon for the 2018–19 season. On 22 July 2019, Deji was signed by Charlton Athletic following his release from AFC Wimbledon for free on a two-year deal.
Despite enjoying huge success in the professional side of football, Deji has remained true to his roots and never forgotten where he originally started. During lockdown Deji appeared on the Millwall Premier League Kicks podcast as a guest and a graduate from the Millwall PL Kicks programme. The aim of the podcast was to share the success of past and present people that have had an involvement in the programme.
When asked about his experiences growing up in South London Deji said: “Growing up in Bermondsey was tough. You had to have a bit about you, but it helped me grow up massively. Kicks helped because I had to play with older boys at a young age and everyone was stronger than me, so I had to be smarter. Kicks had such a family feeling to the environment despite how competitive it was. It brought so many people from different parts of South together.”
At the backend of the 2019/20 season the work of Charlton Athletic Community Trust’s Street Violence Ruins Lives (SVRL) campaign was celebrated at the club’s recent match against Millwall. The project is run in partnership with a range of key stakeholders, including the Mayor of London, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Peabody Trust and the Metropolitan Police, and has seen CACT engage with over 2,000 young people. The club has had a dedicated SVRL matchday since 2009, when Charlton and Millwall came together for the first time following the deaths of Addicks fan Rob Knox and Lions supporter Jimmy Mizen in 2008.
Charlton defender Deji Oshilaja visited CACT’s Premier League Kicks programme, which provides free diversionary football sessions for 11 to 19-year-olds. When asked about the impact of the Kicks programme Deji commented: “As someone that has come from an area where obviously there’s a lot of gang culture, a lot of street violence where I grew up, I think it’s top from the club as well, sticking that initiative in and trying to better people’s lives.”
Deji has also continued to mentor a current Millwall Kicks participant in Abraham Odoh, who joined Charlton Athletic as an academy under 23’s player during the 2018/19 season and is currently on trial with Manchester City.
Deji has continued to not only be a positive ambassador for the Kicks programme but also for the area he grew up in and the community he has known and loved from a young age. Deji never fails to talk on the positive impact that attending the programme had on him as a footballer as well as a person. The Kicks programme runs in the Oshilaja with his brothers Hassan and Kiki also former participants of the programme.
