Mbinga swaps Ajax academy glory for Spotify stardom

Twenty‑five‑year‑old Elikia Mbinga swapped the roar of the Johan Cruyff Arena for the buzz of a Spotify playlist, trading a career that once saw him share a pitch with Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber and Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch for a burgeoning music following of just under 500,000 monthly listeners.

Ajax U‑17 triumph over PSV Eindhoven in September 2017

In the 2017/18 season Ajax's Under‑17 team produced a crop of talent that would later shine in the Premier League. On a September 2017 matchday the side outplayed rivals PSV Eindhoven, with Timber, Gravenberch and Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey all starting. The win highlighted the depth of Ajax's youth pipeline and foreshadowed the players' future impact on English football.

Future Dutch international Kenneth Taylor operated in midfield alongside Gravenberch, while winger Sontje Hansen later represented Curaçao at the 2026 World Cup. Elikia Mbinga entered as a substitute for Hansen and went on to make several further appearances before returning to his boyhood club PEC Zwolle in 2018. Hansen's progression to the 2026 World Cup underscored the academy's international reach.

Unlike many of his former teammates, Mbinga walked away from professional football at the age of twenty‑five, terminating his contract with PEC Zwolle to pursue music full‑time. His decision marked a stark contrast to the trajectories of Timber, now a regular at Arsenal, and Gravenberch, who has become a fixture in Liverpool's midfield. While Brobbey continues his career at Sunderland, the others have cemented Premier League roles.

Xavi sees Brobbey fit to return for Sunderland against Leeds

Music career builds on Spotify success

Four years after his final Eredivisie appearance, Mbinga's Spotify profile, where he records under the moniker ELIKIA, attracts just shy of 500,000 monthly listeners. His breakout single ‘Mentality’ has amassed more than 16 million plays, its lyrics nodding to fellow midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. His fifth and final Eredivisie outing came four years ago, after which he turned his focus entirely to music.

He followed up with the track ‘Jelele’, a tribute to the rise and fall of Spain international Ansu Fati, and even collaborated with the former Barcelona star in April. Mbinga cites Nigerian artists Wizkid and Burna Boy as his biggest musical influences. He also spends time listening to his former teammates' matches, keeping football close to his heart.

Explaining the career change, Mbinga told The Sun that music had always been part of his family, saying, “My family is very musical, my brother can sing and play a lot of instruments. So it’s in the family.” He added that football had been his number‑one priority until his interest in music grew, prompting him to quit his contract and start from scratch in a studio. He described the switch as a huge risk, stating, “It was a really big risk also because my whole childhood was football. It was my whole identity.” Sport writer Tom Victor captured the story for.

Mbinga remains close to his former Arsenal teammate Timber and Timber’s twin brother Quinten, who moved to Crystal Palace over the summer. He watches both siblings play for Arsenal and Crystal Palace respectively this season, expressing pride in their achievements. Reflecting on their support, he said to The Sun, “Big shout out to them because when I come to London they really welcome me.”