Tears flowed freely and Zadok Yohanna was clearly emotional as he completed his sensational transfer to the Premier League after less than a year playing football in Sweden.
Zadok Yohanna is officially Albion. 💙🤍 pic.twitter.com/fIO1kuqvi8
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) June 6, 2026
“I am really happy, I know where I come from and I want to make my family proud,” the 18-year-old winger told the Brighton media channel in his first interview since his record-breaking transfer.
Zadok was the subject of an unprecedented transfer interest that spanned from the Premier League to the Bundesliga to Real Madrid and PSG.
What attracted him to Brighton ahead of these far bigger teams?
“I like the way they develop young players and the way they play,” he said.
“I will give everything I have for the team and also want to win trophies with them.”
He admitted that the start last year in Sweden was “quite difficult”, but he enjoyed the support of “a lot of good people who took good care of me” and that was why “it was difficult” to say goodbye.
And his goal celebration?
A sign of the cross from a Northern Nigerian Christian.
