Temi Babalola is set to reunite with Chris Agutter, having signed for Sutton on a permanent deal from Forest Green Rovers, giving the U’s boss a towering presence up top ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Here’s everything you need to know about the imposing forward and his story so far…
Name: Temi Babalola
Age: 25
Position: Forward
Former Clubs: Woodford Town, Romford, Brentwood Town, Concord Rangers, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Aveley (loan), Cheshunt, Haringey Borough, Potters Bar Town, Billericay Town, Bowers & Pitsea (loan), Worthing, Forest Green Rovers
Essex Born and Bred
Hailing from South Ockendon in Essex, Temi Babalola has played for no less than seven Essex-based clubs, with the county certainly a place he calls home.
The striker began his career playing youth football for the Shield Academy and South Chingford Football Academy, as well as representing Essex in the East Anglian Counties Championship at Under-16 level, as well as the South-East Counties Under 16s Youth Championship.
He subsequently signed professionally for Woodford Town, where he notably scored all four goals to secure a 4-3 victory over Clapton, taking his haul to 24 for the 2018/19 season, an impressive tally whilst still only 17-years-old, before continuing his form into the 2019/20 campaign, netting in an 8-0 opening day win over Tower Hamlets.
A whirlwind year followed for the teenager, who had scored 28 goals in two seasons for Woodford, and he later enjoyed a brief, but extremely productive spell at fellow Essex Senior League side Romford, impressing with six goals in six games for Paul Martin’s men before departing for pastures new, spending four months at Brentwood Town. He later embarked on a successful spell at Concord Rangers, jumping up from the Isthmian North to the National League South on dual-registration terms, and he bagged his first goal for the club in a 3-3 stalemate with Tonbridge Angels – their last match before the curtailment of football.
Despite this, he put pen to paper on a new deal at the Aspect Arena in June 2020 having made an instant impression in Canvey Island, and the lively frontman later saw his name in the spotlight after playing 90 minutes in Concord’s agonising FA Cup first-round exit on penalties at the hands of League Two side Stevenage, as well as featuring in the FA Trophy Final against Harrogate Town – alongside current and former Sutton players Chris Haigh and Lewis Simper. As such, he reportedly earned interest from Championship and League One sides Luton Town and Ipswich Town during this period, even trialling for the former’s Under-21s during a goalless draw at National League South side Slough Town.
Following two years with the Beach Boys, he departed for Hampton & Richmond Borough, before returning to Essex with a loan spell at Aveley, playing ten times, before crossing the border for Hertfordshire, with stints at Cheshunt and Potters Bar Town, either side of a move to Haringey Borough, before returning to Essex for a sixth time – this time with a move to Billericay Town.
He most notably scored a hat-trick against Berkhamsted in the FA Trophy, scoring 11 goals for the club in total, before opting to depart on loan for his seventh – and as of now final – Essex-based club, joining Bowers & Pitsea in August 2024, enjoying a promising period, scoring twice in four games as well as helping the club reach the Essex Thameside Trophy Final.
Despite a short stint with Bowers, current Sutton boss Agutter came calling whilst at Worthing, and brought him to Woodside Road towards the start of the 2024/25 campaign, bringing his time in Essex – at least for now – to a close.
The Magic of the Cup
Babalola’s jump into the National League came as a result of Worthing’s run in the Emirates FA Cup last season, who competed with Robbie Savage’s Forest Green Rovers in the Fourth Qualifying Round.
In what was Agutter’s first of two attempts at England’s oldest competition last term, the Rebels kicked off their campaign with a trip to the Channel Islands, a place where Babalola rescued a second shot at progressing to the next stage, with Jersey Bulls holding an unlikely advantage over Worthing come the start of the second half.
James Queree and Lorne Bickley gave Elliot Powell’s side a 2-0 deficit after 47 minutes, but Razzaq Coleman De-Graft contributed a lifeline for the Sussex-based outfit on the hour-mark, and allowed Babalola to strike with 24 minutes to go, showing sheer perseverance to bear down on goal and force full-back Jay Giles into clearing the ball back off the imposing forward and past goalkeeper Seb Stacey.
Having scored 12 goals for Worthing so far – including 11 in his debut campaign – Babalola had looked to continue his fine form since arriving from Billericay, and he proved to be the difference-maker against the Islanders, netting a hat-trick in the replay as Worthing secured a 5-0 victory. He opened the scoring through a familiar source, again displaying his strength to shrug off Queree before stooping low to head his side in front, and added his second of the evening – and Worthing’s third – in emphatic fashion, turning adroitly before blasting a powerful strike into the roof of the net. He went on to clinch the match ball after a devastating give-and-go between the forward and substitute Jack Spong resulted in the latter picking out Babalola, who calmly slotted in his third of the evening, before a fifth goal from Brad Dolaghan put gloss on the scoreline and set up a tie with Wimborne Town.
Babalola again struck in the cup, putting the cherry on top of a 3-0 victory over the Magpies when he confidently swept home his eighth goal of the season in just 14 games, including five in the FA Cup, to extend his side’s lead to an unassailable one, and saw them host National League outfit Forest Green – a clash which proved to be their second without Agutter, who departed for the U’s the week before.
Now led by Adam Hinshelwood, Babalola maintained his spot in Worthing’s attack and led the line superbly, with his form impressing despite a 4-1 defeat to end the Rebels’ cup campaign.
However, he had naturally attracted plenty of suitors, and less than a week after facing Savage’s side, the former Derby County midfielder opted to bring the striker to The New Lawn, closing out his time with Worthing with 19 goals in 63 games, as well as winning the club’s Young Player of the Year award in 2024/25 and the club’s Player of the Month for August 2025, whilst also receiving a nomination for the 2025/26 National League South Player of the Month award for September.
Photo Credit: Worthing Football Club
Temi Time
Babalola became a reliable figure during his time at Worthing, with his contract extension in June 2025 coming as a result of Agutter’s side triumphing in each of the seven games in which the Englishman found the net during his debut season.
This sort of importance proved to be a crucial contribution to Worthing’s record-breaking season, with the Sutton boss guiding the club to their highest ever points total (88), even more than their title-winning tally last term.
Having joined from Billericay after a brief loan spell at Bowers & Pitsea, the imposing forward announced himself almost immediately, breaking the deadlock in an eventual 2-1 away victory over Boreham Wood to open his account in only his second appearance, a win helped as well by a stunning solo goal from former Sutton loanee Danny Cashman.
Additional strikers against Weston-super-Mare, Weymouth and Chippenham Town (2) closed out a successful maiden league campaign with the Rebels, along with another three goals in the Sussex Transport Senior Cup, netting the opener in a 3-1 triumph over East Preston in the second round before bagging a brace in a 5-0 rout over Eastbourne United in the following round.
This was followed by another eight goals in 2025/26, including five in the Emirates FA Cup, with his goals coming from a range of territories.
Standing at 6ft4in, Babalola’s height and strength has been central to his game throughout his career, but this hasn’t prevented him from displaying pace and power either, with his first goal at Meadow Park coming after he breezed past Chris Bush with ease and drove goalwards after getting to the byline before squeezing it in past Nathan Ashmore at his near post.
His second came through sheer brilliance, as Kane Wills powered a cross into the box with Babalola’s back to goal, but as he looked to control, he somehow gathered the composure to engineer a beautifully flicked-volley that rooted goalkeeper Max Harris, and bounced into the netting, before notching a delightful assist with an incisive pass to released Mo Faal, who finished off a delicious Agutter move.
In all though, what Babalola offers the side is a genuine target man – someone who links the play, holds the ball up, gets back and defends – and has been displayed throughout his career thus far.
Photo Credit: Worthing Football Club
