Mipo Odubeko

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mipo Odubeko
Personal information
Full name Ademipo Ibrahim Odubeko[1]
Date of birth (2002-10-21) 21 October 2002 (age 19)[2]
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland[3]
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Doncaster Rovers
(on loan from West Ham United)
Number 45
Youth career
Crumlin United
–2015 St Joseph's Boys
2015–2016 Manchester City
2016–2019 Manchester United
2019–2020 West Ham United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020– West Ham United 0 (0)
2021–2022 → Huddersfield Town (loan) 6 (0)
2022– → Doncaster Rovers (loan) 10 (0)
National team‡
Republic of Ireland U16
2019 Republic of Ireland U17 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:50, 5 March 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 04:33, 15 September 2021 (UTC)

Ademipo "Mipo" Ibrahim Odubeko (born 21 October 2002) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Doncaster Rovers, on loan from West Ham United.

He made his professional debut for West Ham in 2021 and has represented the Republic of Ireland on the international stage at various youth levels, although he remains eligible to play for both England and Nigeria.

Club career[]

Early life and career[]

Odubeko was born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland to Nigerian parents and grew up in Tallaght, and he spent his formative years playing football for St Joseph's Boys.[4] When he was fourteen years old, Odubeko and his family relocated to Manchester in England where, despite initially encountering registration concerns due to FIFA's prohibition on the international transfer of minors, he later represented both Manchester City and Manchester United at youth level.[3][4] He spent the majority of his remaining schoolboy years with the latter, where he scored on his U18 Premier League debut and netted 35 times in total, before joining the academy side of fellow Premier League club West Ham United in 2019.[5]

West Ham United[]

"Mipo signing for West Ham is another really positive story for the Academy. He is a promising player we are looking forward to working with and this move is a great opportunity for him to join us and continue his journey..."

—West Ham United academy manager Ricky Martin, October 2019.[5]

In October 2019, shortly after his 17th birthday, Odubeko turned down a contract extension with Manchester United in order to sign a three-year-deal with West Ham.[3][5] Over the course of the next two seasons, he excelled with the club's development side and scored 11 goals in 10 appearances in the Premier League 2, winning the competition's Player of the Month award in April 2021 in the process.[6] Odubeko's form at youth level caught the attention of first team manager David Moyes during the 2020–21 season and he made two senior appearances for the campaign, making his debut as a substitute for Michail Antonio in the club's 1–0 FA Cup third round victory over Stockport County, before featuring again in the following round of the competition against his former side United.[7][8][9] Throughout the season, he also trained regularly with the senior team and was named in the club's matchday squad on 18 occasions throughout the Premier League campaign.[10]

Huddersfield Town loan[]

On 30 August 2021, Odubeko moved on a season-long loan to EFL Championship side Huddersfield Town, where he was given the number 7 shirt.[11] After only making six appearances, amounting to 107 minutes of playing time, in the first half of the season, West Ham activated his recall clause, and his loan was ended on 4 January 2022.[12]

Doncaster Rovers loan[]

On 27 January 2022, Odubeko joined EFL League One side Doncaster Rovers on loan for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.[13]

International career[]

Republic of Ireland[]

Odubeko was born in the Republic of Ireland and is of Nigerian descent through his parents, who were both born in the African country.[4] He represented the Republic of Ireland’s under-16 side in their successful 2017 Victory Shield campaign and was selected to play for the under-17 team in two matches against Finland in March 2019.[3] However, he was overlooked for Ireland's squad for the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship despite his strong form at club level and, having not represented the nation in the intervening period, rejected subsequent call-ups to the under-21 squad in 2021, sparking speculation that he could switch allegiances to Nigeria.[14][15] He also remains eligibile to represent England.[16]

Style of play[]

Odubeko is a striker who boasts a prolific goalscoring record at youth level. He is predominantly right-footed but has been described as being "strong, powerful and fast" and as a player who is capable of playing on "his right and left side and who is good in the air" by former coach Bernard Byrne.[17] This has been echoed by Republic of Ireland under-21 manager Jim Crawford who, in 2021, reflected on Odubeko as being a player who possesses "unbelievable pace, can score goals and would be an asset to any squad."[18]

Career statistics[]

As of match played 5 March 2022.
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
West Ham United U21 2020–21 – 1[a] 2 1 2
West Ham United 2020–21[19] Premier League 0 0 2 0 0 0 — 2 0
2021–22[20] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Huddersfield Town (loan) 2021–22[21] EFL Championship 6 0 0 0 — — 6 0
Doncaster Rovers (loan) 2021–22 League 1 10 0 0 0 — — 10 0
Career total 16 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 19 2
  1. ^ Appearances in the EFL Trophy

References[]

  1. ^ "2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Ademipo Odubeko". soccerbase.com. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Mipo Odubeko – the 18-year-old back-up to Michail Antonio who is 'a proper striker'". The Athletic. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Rowan, Paul (13 June 2021). "West Ham's Ademipo Odubeko 'will play for Ireland again' insists agent amid Nigeria speculation". The Times. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "West Ham United sign prolific striker Mipo Odubeko". West Ham United F.C. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Mipo Odubeko named Premier League 2 Player of the Month for April". West Ham United F.C. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  7. ^ Emons, Michael (11 January 2021). "Stockport County 0-1 West Ham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  8. ^ Murray, Scott (11 January 2021). "Stockport County 0-1 West Ham: FA Cup third round - as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Mipo Odubeko shortlisted for Premier League 2 Player of the Month". West Ham United F.C. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  10. ^ "A. Odubeko Soccerway profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  11. ^ "SIGNING: STRIKER MIPO ODUBEKO JOINS ON LOAN!". Huddersfield Town AFC. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  12. ^ Chicken, Steven (4 January 2022). "Odubeko returns to West Ham as Huddersfield Town loan recall clause triggered". YorkshireLive.
  13. ^ "West Ham forward Mipo Odubeko joins Rovers on loan". Doncaster Rovers FC. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  14. ^ Cummiskey, Gavin (29 May 2021). "Jim Crawford hoping Mipo Odubeko will stick with Ireland over Nigeria". Irish Times. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  15. ^ Fallon, John (29 May 2021). "Ireland U21 boss: We must sort out Mipo Odubeko situation once and for all". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  16. ^ Fennessy, Paul (26 May 2021). "Highly-rated West Ham teenager's Ireland international future uncertain". The 42. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  17. ^ Cooney, Gavin (23 January 2021). "'It's only a matter of time' - The latest Irish teenager on the verge of a Premier League breakthrough". The 42. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  18. ^ Fitzmaurice, Aidan (26 May 2021). "Uncertainty over Mipo Odubeko's long-term commitment to Ireland is a worry for the FAI". Independent Ireland. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Games played by Mipo Odubeko in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  20. ^ "Games played by Mipo Odubeko in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  21. ^ "Games played by Mipo Odubeko in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
Flag of Republic of IrelandSoccer icon

This biographical article relating to Republic of Ireland association football is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""