African roots, Rossonero heart: Tomori's Nigerian heritage the basis of his success at Milan

The football world knows him as Fikayo Tomori. But his full name tells a much bigger story.

Oluwafikayomi Oluwadamilola Tomori. A name born in Nigeria, carried across continents, and built on faith.

"My parents are Nigerian, so the names come from their tribes," Tomori explains. "Each tribe has a sentence which is shortened to a name."

Those sentences matter. Oluwafikayomi means "God has filled me with joy". Oluwadamilola means "God has filled me with wealth." Identity, belief, and heritage wrapped into every syllable.

It's difficult to explain what happened to us, laments Tomori following the loss to Inter

At AC Milan, they shorten it to "Fik." On the pitch, though, Tomori plays with the calm authority of someone deeply grounded in who he is and where he comes from.

This season, joy has returned to Milan too. Under Massimiliano Allegri, the Rossoneri are back in the title race, second in Serie A and only a point behind Inter. After the chaos of last year, Milan have rediscovered structure, solidity - and Tomori has flourished at the heart of it.

"Physically, it's the best I've felt," he says. "Part of that is knowing where I have to be on the pitch. It's about running smarter, not harder."

Born in Canada, raised in England, shaped by Nigerian parents, Tomori is a symbol of the African diaspora in modern football. He never wore Nigeria's colours - "I was never asked," he has revealed - but his roots have always been visible, written into his name, his upbringing, his values.

In Italy, he has fully embraced a new culture, learning the language, absorbing the tactics, understanding the weight of the shirt.

"You walk in and see Maldini, Baresi, Nesta, Kaka, Zlatan," he says. "You realise how much the shirt means. There's an expectation to deliver."

That expectation suits him. Milan ended an 11-year wait for the Scudetto in 2022. Now they are chasing again, with Tomori once more a pillar of their defence - composed, athletic, relentless. A defender with English caps, Italian education and Nigerian roots.

And a name that says it all: joy, purpose, belief.