Stephen Sunday
![]() Sunny before a game with CSKA Sofia in 2014 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Stephen Obayan Sunday | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 17 September 1988||
Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria[1] | ||
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
Ebedei | |||
2003–2004 | Jegede Babes | ||
2004–2005 | Poli Ejido | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2005–2007 | Poli Ejido | 63 | (0) |
2007–2011 | Valencia | 10 | (0) |
2008–2009 | → Osasuna (loan) | 4 | (0) |
2009–2010 | → Betis (loan) | 7 | (0) |
2011 | → Numancia (loan) | 14 | (2) |
2011–2013 | Numancia | 62 | (2) |
2013 | Bnei Sakhnin | 2 | (0) |
2014–2015 | CSKA Sofia | 36 | (0) |
2015–2016 | Alanyaspor | 12 | (0) |
2016–2018 | Real Salt Lake | 59 | (1) |
2016–2017 | → Real Monarchs (loan) | 3 | (0) |
2019–2020 | Pafos | 5 | (0) |
National team | |||
2007 | Spain U19 | 5 | (0) |
2007 | Spain U20 | 4 | (0) |
2009 | Spain U21 | 1 | (0) |
2010 | Nigeria | 1 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 July 2020 |
Stephen Obayan Sunday (born 17 September 1988), nicknamed Sunny, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder.
Club career[]
Early years[]
Born in Lagos, Sunny began his career in Nigeria with Ebedei and Jegede Babes. In 2003, he participated in two youth championships in Sweden and Spain: in the latter he appeared in Madrid's third edition of the Annual Immigrants World Cup, where he impressed so much he was given a five-year-contract with Polideportivo Ejido, in the Segunda División.[2]
Valencia[]
Sunny became a regular player for the Andalusia team, making 65 competitive appearances during his two-year spell and signing for Valencia in the summer, but after one season where he was scarcely used, he was loaned to fellow La Liga club Osasuna.[3] In late January 2009, he was linked with a move to England's Portsmouth, but the deal eventually collapsed due to financial complications.[4]
On 30 June 2009, after a season which was marred by injury,[5] Sunny was loaned to Betis for one year with a view to a permanent four-year move.[6][7] He also appeared rarely during the second-tier campaign, as the Verdiblancos failed to return to the top flight (seven matches out of 42).[8]
In July 2010, Sunny had a trial in England with newly promoted Premier League side Blackpool, playing in a pre-season friendly against Crewe Alexandra on 27 July[9] and four days later against Bristol City, but nothing came of it.
Numancia[]
Sunny spent the first months of the new season training on his own, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Valencia manager Unai Emery.[10] On 19 January 2011 he was again loaned, moving to Numancia from division two.[11]
In the following two years, still in that tier and already as a permanent signing,[12] Sunny was first-choice for the Sorians.[13][14] On 11 May 2011 he scored his first goal as a senior, netting the 2–1 winner away against Albacete.[15]
Bnei Sakhnin / CSKA Sofia[]
On 30 July 2013, Sunny signed a two-year contract with Israeli club Bnei Sakhnin.[16] On 3 January of the following year, he moved teams and countries again, joining Bulgaria's CSKA Sofia after agreeing to a two-and-a-half-year deal.[17]
Real Salt Lake[]
After starting out the season in Turkey with Alanyaspor, Sunny joined Real Salt Lake on 21 January 2016.[18] He scored his first Major League Soccer goal on 12 March, helping to a 2–1 home defeat of Seattle Sounders.[19]
Sunny was released following the 2018 campaign.[20]
Pafos[]
In July 2019, Sunny signed for Cypriot First Division club Pafos.[21]
International career[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/2007-07-01URU_vs_SPA213.jpg/220px-2007-07-01URU_vs_SPA213.jpg)
Sunday, who was born in Nigeria, was eligible to play for Spain under FIFA rules allowing players with dual nationality and without full international caps to switch allegiance before the age of 21. After first appearing for the under-19 side, he was called up by his adopted nation to the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada,[22][23] playing four games as the team exited in the quarter-finals.[24]
In September 2010, Sunny was called up for Nigeria's 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Guinea scheduled for the following month.[25] He made his debut in that game as a starter, in a 1–0 loss in Conakry.[26]
Honours[]
Valencia
References[]
- ^ a b c "Sunday Stephen". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (20 March 2007). "Stephen's Latin love". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ "El Valencia cede a Sunny al Osasuna por una temporada" [Valencia loan Sunny to Osasuna for one season]. El País (in Spanish). 27 June 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ "Sunny no-go for Pompey". Sky Sports. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ "Sunny: "En Osasuna jugué poco, pero fue por sufrir varias lesiones"" [Sunny: "I played little at Osasuna, but it was because I suffered several injuries"] (in Spanish). Navarra Sport. 14 July 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ "Sunny jugará cedido en el Betis con opción de compra" [Sunny will play on loan to Betis with an option to buy]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 June 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Iglesias, José (15 July 2009). "Sunny, cuarto refuerzo verdiblanco, se suma a la causa del ascenso y de la unión" [Sunny, fourth green-and-white addition, joins promotion and unity cause]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ "¿Qué fue de... Sunny Sunday?" [What happened to... Sunny Sunday?]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). 27 September 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Valencia star joins Blackpool for trial". Blackpool Gazette. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ^ Ballesta, Joaquín (20 July 2010). "Viana y Sunny, primeros descartes" [Viana and Sunny, first ones discarded]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ "El Numancia se refuerza con los cedidos Ion Vélez y Sunny" [Numancia bolster with loaned Ion Vélez and Sunny]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ^ Escarabajano, José Luis (14 July 2011). "Mercado: Sunny se desvincula del Valencia y el Numancia le ficha como agente libre" [Market: Sunny cuts ties with Valencia and Numancia sign him as a free agent] (in Spanish). Goal. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ^ Garteizgoxeascoa Gil, Aimara (21 January 2012). "Sunny, titular para la 'vendetta' de Alcorcón" [Sunny, starter for Alcorcón 'vendetta']. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ^ "Breve enciclopedia numantina" [Brief numantina encyclopedia]. Desde Soria (in Spanish). 29 May 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ^ "1–2. El Albacete desciende tras caer ante el Numancia" [1–2. Albacete relegated after falling to Numancia]. ABC (in Spanish). 11 May 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Presenting: the 2013/14 Israeli Premier League". Maccabi Tel Aviv. 19 August 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ "Съни вече е футболист на ЦСКА, подписа за 2,5 години" [Sunny is now a CSKA player, he signed for 2,5 years] (in Bulgarian). Gong.bg. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ^ "Real Salt Lake signs Nigerian MF Sunday Stephen Obayan". Real Salt Lake. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ Pentz, Matt (12 March 2016). "Post-match quotes: Real Salt Lake 2, Seattle Sounders 1". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Vejar, Alex (20 November 2018). "Sunday 'Sunny' Stephen says he is parting ways with Real Salt Lake". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ^ "Sunny welcome". Pafos FC. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ "Sunny, el centrocampista español que llegó de África" [Sunny, the Spanish midfielder who came from Africa] (in Spanish). FIFA. 4 July 2007. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Furlone, Aquiles (30 June 2007). "Empieza la sucesión de Messi" [Messi's succession begins]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ^ "2007, Mundial sub'20 (y III): Una dura caída" [2007, Under-20 World Cup (and III): A hard fall] (in Spanish). Recuerdos de Nigeria. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ "Taye Taiwo gets Nigeria recall, Danny Shittu dropped". Kick Off. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ^ Adewuyi, Lolade (10 October 2010). "Guinea 1–0 Nigeria: Syli Nationale clip Super Eagles' wings". Goal. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "El Valencia respira en Irún" [Valencia take a breather in Irún]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 December 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ "El Valencia se agarra a la Copa gracias a Joaquín" [Valencia hold on to Cup thanks to Joaquín]. Marca (in Spanish). 9 January 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ "El Valencia vuelve a ganar y se medirá al Atlético en cuartos" [Valencia win again and will take on Atlético in last eight]. Marca (in Spanish). 17 January 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
External links[]
- Stephen Sunday at BDFutbol
- Stephen Sunday at National-Football-Teams.com
- Stephen Sunday – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Stephen Sunday at Soccerway
- 1988 births
- Living people
- Spanish people of Nigerian descent
- Nigerian emigrants to Spain
- Naturalised citizens of Spain
- Spanish sportspeople of African descent
- Sportspeople of Nigerian descent
- Sportspeople from Lagos
- Nigerian footballers
- Spanish footballers
- Association football midfielders
- La Liga players
- Segunda División players
- Polideportivo Ejido footballers
- Valencia CF players
- CA Osasuna players
- Real Betis players
- CD Numancia players
- Israeli Premier League players
- Bnei Sakhnin F.C. players
- First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players
- PFC CSKA Sofia players
- TFF First League players
- Alanyaspor footballers
- Major League Soccer players
- USL Championship players
- Real Salt Lake players
- Real Monarchs players
- Cypriot First Division players
- Pafos FC players
- Spain youth international footballers
- Spain under-21 international footballers
- Nigeria international footballers
- Nigerian expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
- Expatriate footballers in Israel
- Expatriate footballers in Bulgaria
- Expatriate footballers in Turkey
- Expatriate soccer players in the United States
- Expatriate footballers in Cyprus
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Israel
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus