Wycombe Wanderers' newest gem: Micah Olabiyi

Georgian billionaire Mikheil Lomtadze's acquisition of the Blues in May 2024 promised many exciting projects to take the club to the next level, and rebuilding the academy rather than using the B-team model was one of the biggest.

Plenty of budding young players flocked to South Buckinghamshire last summer, with Wanderers hosting talent ID sessions to find new recruits for their PDP squad.

One of those players signed to the PDP squad for the 2025/26 season was former Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace prospect Micah Olabiyi.

Described as a direct winger with excellent ball control, Olabiyi was certainly one of the most eye-catching additions from the latest intake of players.

The Nigerian would catch the eye almost instantly, earning his senior debut in the EFL Cup trip to Bromley in late August, where Wycombe scraped past the League Two side on penalties.

Whilst this would be his only senior appearance for the Chairboys until May, Olabiyi continued to shine for the PDP squad, scoring a stunning solo goal against Cheltenham Town U18s, which was nominated for LFE Goal of the Month.

The Berks and Bucks Senior Cup would prove to be a happy hunting ground for the teenager too, as he found the net in the early stages of the competition against Penn & Tylers Green and Burnham, as well as a brace against Gillingham U18s in the Youth Alliance League.

The excellent county cup run continued as a Wanderers side featuring a mix of out-of-favour senior players and youngsters, including Olabiyi, beat Slough Town on penalties to book their place in the showpiece event.

That result meant the young Blues would face Hungerford Town in the final at Arbour Park for the chance to win the cup for the first time since 2012.

Wycombe fired themselves into a 2-0 lead, but the Crusaders levelled the game with two goals right at the death, sending the contest to yet another penalty shootout.

Olabiyi would slot home Wanderers' second spot kick as the young players kept their cool to oust Hungerford 4-1 in the shootout, bringing home the club's 29th Berks and Bucks Senior Cup title.

Whilst the trophy isn't one you'd hold an open-top bus parade for, getting through an entire knockout tournament with multiple high-pressure penalty shootouts is a testament to the quality and mental resilience of this young Chairboys squad.

While the PDP squad continued to impress, the fortunes of the senior side had begun to fade following a string of disappointing results against their play-off rivals.

By the time Wycombe's final game of the season came around, the top six was a long way out of reach, allowing Michael Duff to rotate his side and give some of the younger players a first taste of league football.

Olabiyi would be one of the three lucky PDP players alongside his teammates Mo Keita and Jack Matton, who were named on the bench as the Chairboys hosted relegated Rotherham United on the final day of the 2025/26 League One campaign.

Both Keita and Olabiyi were introduced in the 78th minute, with the game poised at 2-2, and Wycombe in the hunt for a third goal to end a disappointing season on a high.

This set the stage for one of the stars of the future to step up, and Olabiyi did, turning the ball past Ted Cann in the 90th minute from close range to become Wanderers' third youngest EFL goalscorer, at 16 years, nine months, and 15 days old.

After a season that had proved bitterly disappointing for everyone connected with the club, the Nigerian's goal sent supporters home for the summer with renewed optimism for the future.

Olabiyi would find the net in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham U17s just a week after scoring his first senior goal and would then be invited by Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle to train with his senior national team during the Unity Cup.

With so much happening in a short space of time for the winger, it will be interesting to see how he develops in the coming months and what sort of role he could play next season.

Given his rapid progress, a professional contract is likely to be under consideration by the club hierarchy.

Should his development continue at this rate, other clubs higher up the food chain will undoubtedly start sniffing around the youngster, so Wanderers must secure his long-term future before interest from elsewhere becomes an issue.

The most important thing for Olabiyi now is to remain grounded. There is still a long road ahead, but his first season in light and dark blue has provided plenty of evidence that he possesses the talent and temperament to make a lasting impact at Adams Park.