NK Maribor have officially announced the release of five players, including highly-rated former Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo.
Ojo joined Maribor in 2024 after spending a period without a club following his release by Cardiff City. The 28-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Slovenian side.
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During the 2025/26 season, Ojo made 31 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing five assists for Maribor.
A club statement read: “The end of the season also means the end of some shared stories. With farewells to many long-standing members who have left a deep mark on the purple.
“Contracts expiring at the end of the 2025/26 season will not be extended. We can confirm five departures: Jan Repas (227 matches, 27 goals, and the biggest legacy – the 2022 championship title), Hilal Soudani (97 matches, 36 goals, 2x Purple Warrior in a row), Pijus Širvys (81 appearances), Sheyi Ojo (63) and Luka Krajnc (43) are leaving Ljudski vrt. Thank you all for the purple moments and good luck on your future journey!”
Before joining Maribor, Sheyi Ojo made 40 appearances for Cardiff City during the 2022/23 season after returning to the club on a permanent deal in July 2022. However, he later fell out of favour under manager Erol Bulut.
Ojo had previously enjoyed a productive loan spell with Cardiff in the 2020/21 campaign, making 42 appearances across all competitions. Sheyi Ojo progressed through the academy ranks at Liverpool after joining from Milton Keynes Dons in 2011.
The winger made his senior debut as a teenager in an FA Cup tie against Exeter City in January 2016. He then marked his Anfield debut in the replay by scoring as Liverpool secured a 3-0 victory.
During the closing months of Jurgen Klopp’s first season in charge, Ojo made five Premier League starts as Liverpool rotated their squad while pursuing success in the Europa League.
He featured again in the FA Cup the following season before embarking on a series of loan spells over the next five years. Ojo eventually left Liverpool in the summer of 2022 when his contract expired, bringing an 11-year association with the club to an end.
Še trije odhodi: Luka Krajnc (43 nastopov), Pijus Širvys (81) in Sheyi Ojo (63) prav tako ob izteku pogodb zapuščajo Ljudski vrt.
Hvala za skupne trenutke. Vijol’čna je končana, srečno na nadaljnji poti#MiSkupajEnoSmo pic.twitter.com/qq4YptvtDg
— NK Maribor (@nkmaribor) May 26, 2026