Up Next, Daniel Ogunleye

Player Profile

Career Summary

With 36 league goals this season for Isthmian League North champions Brentwood Town, you would think that Daniel Ogunleye will be on the wish list of a number of Step 2 and 3 clubs. Having originally started his career at Brentwood Town Ogunleye moved to Southampton age 12 and then onto Forest Green, where he returned to Brentwood during the 2021/22 season scoring eight times. Brief spells at Coggeshall Town and Herne Bay during the 2022\23 stalled Ogunleye’s promising start to his non- league career. He rejoined Brentwood in the November of the 2023\24, reaching the playoffs and finishing the season with 9 league goals. However this season was Ogunleye break through year, netting 43 goals in all competitions firing Brentwood Town to the Isthmian Premier (step 3) for the first time in a decade.

Playstyle

Brentwood play with a two upfront, one being Ogunleye who plays as the runner and support player off the other striker who’s role is the hold up man. The majority of Ogunleye’s goals come from inside the box where he has developed as a complete poacher finisher, scoring with both feet and his head on a number of occasions. He has displayed on a number of times this season an ability to run at defenders in the final third to score and create goals and chances.

Strengths

In the box offensive movements | Support play and off ball runs | Composure in front of goal | Complete Finisher | Running and dribbling at defenders

Aspects to think about

Requires service in the box | Not proven above step 4 | First season scoring 10+ league goals | Fits a specific play style

Where should he go next

Given this is the first time Ogunleye has hit over 10 league goals in a season and he hasn’t ever played above Step 4 if he got a move to Step 2 there shouldn’t be any pressure on him to start firing straight away. But I do think he should be at least aiming for teams challenging for promotion in Step 3 (replacement for Ollie Box at Dartford) or as a rotation striker for a Step 2 team.

(Lots of footage up on Ogunleye’s twitter)