Some young footballers arrive at a big club through a straight corridor. Elijah Gift took the scenic route. He was born in a small Navarrese town, grew up in English academies at Huddersfield and Liverpool, then came back to Spain to join Athletic Club, one of the few clubs in Europe where your birthplace genuinely shapes your chances. At 20, he's a left winger in Bilbao Athletic's reserve side, close enough to the first team to be called into its match preparations and still far enough away that nothing is settled.
That's what makes him interesting right now. The next two seasons will say a lot more about him than any of the numbers so far.
The Scouting Card
| Full name | Elijah Gift Izobodo John |
|---|---|
| Born | June 11, 2006, in Corella, Navarre, Spain |
| Age | 20 |
| Nationality | Spanish, with Nigerian and Cuban family heritage |
| Height | About 1.83 m |
| Position | Left winger |
| Stronger foot | Left |
| Club | Bilbao Athletic (Athletic Club reserves) |
| Contract | Reported to run until June 2028 |
| Reported market value | Around €1 million |
| Estimated net worth | US$500,000 to US$700,000 (Icon Polls estimate) |
Corella to West Yorkshire
Gift's first organised football came at the Escuela de Fútbol Francisco Castejón in Spain. Then his family moved to England for work while he was still young, and his football education changed with it.
His father is Nigerian. His mother is Spanish with Cuban roots. Beyond that, his parents' names and family life aren't widely published, and there's no reason to go digging. What matters for his football story is the move itself: a Spanish kid dropped into the English academy system at a formative age.
What Liverpool Gave Him
In England he joined Huddersfield Town's youth setup before moving on to Liverpool's academy, where he spent several years. That's a genuinely unusual background for an Athletic player. Most of the club's prospects come up through Basque and Navarrese football from childhood. Gift learned the game in a more physical, transition-heavy environment and brought that back with him.
You can see some of it in his profile. He's tall for a winger, comfortable carrying the ball into space and built to cope with contact. The question English academies can't answer for you is whether that translates into decisive moments against grown men.
A Detour Through Basconia
He joined Athletic Club in 2023. Being born in Navarre matters here, since Athletic's long-standing policy limits its squad to players with roots in the Basque Country and Navarre. Corella put him inside that circle.
The early months weren't completely smooth. Registration and team-status issues complicated his start, but he settled into the youth side and kept moving. He made his senior debut for Bilbao Athletic in March 2024, then went to Basconia, Athletic's other feeder team, for more minutes before stepping back up.
That loop, reserves then Basconia then reserves again, is normal at Athletic. It isn't a demotion. It's how the club tests whether a player can handle each level before the next one.
Six Goals, Then Two: Reading the Numbers
- 2024/25, Basconia: 18 league appearances, 6 goals
- 2025/26, Bilbao Athletic: 30 league appearances in the Primera Federación, 2 goals
On the surface, the goal return dropped sharply. That's the wrong way to read it. Six goals in 18 games at Basconia is what earned him the step up. Two in 30 at a tougher level is the cost of playing against stronger, more experienced opponents.
The number that actually stands out is 30. A 19 and 20-year-old winger playing that many league matches in the third tier means his coaches trusted him week after week. He also featured in the Premier League International Cup and the UEFA Youth League, which gave him a look at different styles of opposition.
Our honest view: the output needs to rise. Wingers who reach Athletic's first team usually do so by deciding games, not just contributing to them. That's the gap he has to close.
The Euro Figure and the Dollar Guess
His reported market value in 2026 is around €1 million. Treat that as a football-market estimate, not a price tag. Athletic's recruitment model means the club sells rarely and on its own terms, and values for young wide players can swing quickly after a first-team debut or a strong run.
His salary hasn't been made public. Reserve-team deals vary a lot depending on age, bonuses and how close a player is to the senior squad, so any specific weekly figure you see elsewhere is a guess dressed up as fact.
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at US$500,000 to US$700,000. That range reflects a professional contract, his academy years and possible performance-related earnings. It's a reasonable ballpark, not an audited number.
The contract, reported to run to June 2028, is the more useful detail. It gives Athletic time to be patient without facing a decision next summer.
About That FC 26 Rating
Plenty of people search for Elijah Gift in EA Sports FC 26. There isn't a clearly established official rating for him. Reserve players come and go from game databases depending on the update, the mode and licensing, and it's easy to mix him up with other players named Elijah.
If you're a career-mode player, check the latest official squad update in the game itself before trusting any overall or potential figure you find online.
A Left Winger Still Being Built
Gift plays mainly on the left and prefers his left foot. He attacks space, carries the ball forward and has the frame to hold off defenders. The unfinished part is the end product: the final pass, the finish, the right decision when a tight match is there to be won.
He's already been around the senior environment, which tells you the coaching staff sees something. As of the latest widely available information, though, he hadn't made a La Liga appearance. Athletic's pathway is demanding but real. Players who keep improving do get their chance, and Gift is now at the point where the club will want to see whether he's one of them.
Who are the wingers and forwards you'd rank above everyone else? Have your say in our poll on the best football players of all time.
Before You Go
Has Elijah Gift played for Spain?
Yes. He has represented Spain at youth international level, including the under-19 team.
Why can he play for Athletic Club?
He was born in Corella, Navarre, which falls within the region Athletic draws its players from.
Did he play for Liverpool's first team?
No. He spent several years in Liverpool's academy before joining Athletic Club in 2023.
