Joel Asoro
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joel Joshghene Asoro[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 27 April 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder / Forward[2][3] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sunderland | ||
| Number | 29 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| IFK Haninge | |||
| IF Brommapojkarna | |||
| 2015–2016 | Sunderland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016– | Sunderland | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014–2016 | Sweden U17 | 21 | (14) |
| 2016– | Sweden U21 | 5 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 August 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 June 2016 | |||
Joel Joshghene Asoro (born 27 April 1999) is a Swedish footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Sunderland in the Championship. He has also represented Sweden at under-21 level.
Club career
Youth career
Asoro started his career in his local club IFK Haninge in a southern Stockholm suburb. When he was eleven years old he moved to IF Brommapojkarna, well-known throughout Sweden for its youth academy which has produced players such as John Guidetti, Albin Ekdal, Simon Tibbling and Ludwig Augustinsson. Asoro was targeted for some of Europe's leading clubs, among them Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Juventus.[4]
Sunderland
Asoro signed for English side Sunderland in 2015.[5] On 21 August 2016, a year after joining the club, Asoro made his professional debut in the league against Middlesbrough. He came on as an 81st-minute substitute for Duncan Watmore.[6] Asoro became Sunderland’s and Sweden's youngest Premier League player.[7] On 24 August 2016, Asoro was given his first Sunderland start under manager David Moyes in a 1–0 victory over League One side Shrewsbury Town in an EFL Cup second round tie. Asoro later appeared as a starter in the EFL Cup Round 3 victory over Championship side Queens Park Rangers and was subbed off for Joshua Maja.[8]
International career
On 5 September 2016 Asoro made his debut for Sweden U21 starting the game against Spain in 1-1 draw. Swedish press reported that Paris Saint-Germain, Milan, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Valencia and Lyon all scouted Asoro in his debut.[9] The following day Asoro was praised by Arsenal scout Bobby Bennett and Newcastle United Chief Scout Graham Carr.[10] On 6 October 2016 Asoro scored his first goal for Sweden U21 when he scored the last goal in the 3-0 victory away against Estonia.
Career statistics
- As of 18 January 2017[11]
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sunderland | 2016–17 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| Career total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
References
- ^ "English Championship Retained List 2015/16" (PDF). Premier League. 10 June 2016.
- ^ "Joel Asoro". Sunderland A.F.C. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Joel Asoro". UEFA. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "UEFA.com's weekly wonderkid: Joel Asoro". Uefa.com. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
- ^ "Sunderland Sign 'One Of Sweden's Greatest Talents". Roker Report. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ "Sunderland vs. Middlesbrough". Soccerway.
- ^ "Arsenal scout Joel Asoro, so who is he and why would Arsenal want him?". Soccerway.
- ^ "Sunderland 1-0 Shrewsbury Town. On 18 January 2017, Asoro came off the substitutes bench to feature in a 2-0 F.A. Cup 4th Round Replay defeat to Burnley FC". BBC Sport. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Storklubbar på plats – för att se Joel Asoro". Sportexpressen. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ "Joel Asoro hyllas av Arsenal & Newcastle". Sportexpressen. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ Joel Asoro at Soccerway