Alex Iwobi’s 5 passions away from Fulham and Super Eagles: “I’m not just a footballer”

Super Eagles playmaker Alex Iwobi has spent the past decade building a career across Arsenal, Everton, Fulham and Nigeria, Afrik-Foot reports.

Still, the 30-year-old midfielder, one of Nigeria’s top earners in the EPL, has increasingly made it clear that football is only one part of his identity.

The latest chapter arrived on 3 October, when he was unveiled as manager of Project 17 in the Baller League, a role that adds another responsibility to a life already stretching into music, fashion and community work.

His new appointment fits neatly into a philosophy Iwobi has expressed repeatedly. He has described himself as someone who wants to express himself through different outlets while still putting football first.

“I’m not just a footballer, I like to express in many different ways, whether that’s music, fashion, charity. Anything really,” Iwobi told The Sun, explaining that music, fashion and charity are among the ways he expresses himself.

“Of course, yes I’m a footballer first and foremost. I like to show people who I am and everyone knows I like to play fireballs, I like to play street football, so it’s a part of me.

“So if I can get involved in Baller League, all my boys know, the team know, Project 17 knows, that I’ll be down.”

That attitude has produced tangible landmarks for Iwobi. The former Arsenal man has released music as “17”, appeared at Paris Fashion Week, built the Project 17 community platform, continued playing the small-sided football that shaped him and now sits in a Baller League dugout alongside figures such as KSI, Micah Richards, Daniel Sturridge and Ian Wright.

Alex Iwobi’s 5 passions away from football

1. Music

Iwobi’s musical alter ego, 17, has developed into a serious creative outlet. He released Hop Out with Nigerian rap star ODUMODUBLVCK and British artist Ramz in April 2025, then followed it with the nine-track More To Life EP in April 2026.

The project has also taken him beyond the studio. Iwobi performed live in Dubai and has described music as a way of stepping outside football’s relentless routine.

2. Fashion

Fashion gives Iwobi another canvas for the self-expression he craves. He attended Paris Fashion Week for a second consecutive year in 2025, travelling to the French capital with former Everton team-mate Amadou Onana and Fulham colleague Emile Smith Rowe.

His approach is deliberately personal rather than prescriptive. Iwobi has said he sees no fixed rules in fashion and wants people to wear what makes them feel confident. His bold hairstyles have also become part of that willingness to experiment.

3. Charity and community work

Project 17 is arguably Iwobi’s most substantial off-field commitment. The P17 Cup reached its fourth edition in 2025, expanding to include Under-12 teams while raising awareness about sickle cell disease and the importance of blood donation.

His community work has also included a 2024 AleXpress initiative in Canning Town, where he provided Christmas food for 100 families. The following year, his P17 tournament worked with the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust to raise awareness around the shortage of donors in Black communities.

4. Street football

Long before the Premier League spotlight, Iwobi’s football education was shaped by cages and small-sided games. He says he still loves playing fireballs and street football, and told The Sun that small-sided football can sometimes give him more enjoyment than professional matches.

That connection explains why Baller League feels natural to him. His new managerial philosophy will be relaxed and passionate, with an emphasis on players enjoying the craft while embracing difficult games rather than fearing them.

5. Baller League

Iwobi’s latest passion is also his first serious step into management. He has taken charge of Project 17 in the Baller League, joining a cast that includes KSI, Micah Richards, Daniel Sturridge, Chloe Kelly, Ian Wright and Jens Lehmann.

His brief is built around the same principles that have shaped his playing career: freedom, entertainment and competition. “All about excitement,” Iwobi said, while promising his players that difficult moments should be enjoyed alongside victories.

The irony is striking. Iwobi has already made 115 Fulham appearances and passed 100 Nigeria caps, yet his life outside those dressing rooms is becoming almost as colourful as his football career.