Ainsley Maitland-Niles

About

Ainsley Cory Maitland-Niles (born 29 August 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or right-back for Ligue 1 club Lyon.
Maitland-Niles spent the 2015–16 season on loan at Ipswich Town from Arsenal, and the second half of the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons on loan at West Bromwich Albion and Roma respectively. During the 2022–23 season, he was at loan at Southampton, before he joined Lyon after his contract at Arsenal expired. Internationally, he has represented England from under-17 to senior level.

Maitland-Niles was born in Goodmayes, Greater London, being raised in Ilford, East London and attended Oaks Park High School, Ilford. He grew up in a single parent family with his mother, Jule Niles, and his brother, Cordi. He is of Jamaican descent.

Maitland-Niles is a product of Arsenal’s academy having joined the club at the age of six. Maitland-Niles made the step up to Arsenal’s U21s during the 2013–14 season, having broken into the U18 set up the season before. He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal on 24 October 2014.
On 9 December 2014, Maitland-Niles made his…