Samuel Chukwueze
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze | ||
Date of birth | 22 May 1999 | ||
Place of birth | Umuahia, Nigeria | ||
Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
Position(s) | Winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Villarreal | ||
Number | 11 | ||
Youth career | |||
Future Hope | |||
New Generation Academy | |||
2012–2017 | Diamond Football Academy | ||
2017–2018 | Villarreal | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018 | Villarreal B | 20 | (4) |
2018– | Villarreal | 34 | (7) |
International career‡ | |||
2015 | Nigeria U17 | 7 | (3) |
2018– | Nigeria | 13 | (2) |
Medal record | |||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:34, 23 October 2019 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:53, 17 November 2019 (UTC) |
Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze (born 22 May 1999) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Villarreal CF and the Nigeria national team as a winger.
Early life and education
Chukwueze was born in Umuahia Abia state. He is of Igbo descent and was brought up in a Christian family with a younger brother and a younger sister. He attended Government College Umuahia and Evangel Secondary School. He started playing football at the age of 8 and he admired Jay-Jay Okocha as his football idol growing up. He has been mentored by Hon. Victor Apugo whom he saw as a father, as stated in his earlier interview.[1][2]
Club career
Born in Amaokwe Ugba Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State,[3] Chukwueze joined Villarreal CF's prolific youth setup in 2017, from local side Diamond Football Academy.[4] After being initially assigned to the club's Juvenil A squad, he made his senior debut with the reserves on 15 April 2018, coming on as a second-half substitute for Sergio Lozano in a 1–1 Segunda División B away draw against CE Sabadell FC.
Chukwueze scored his first senior goal on 20 May 2018, netting his team's second in a 3–1 away defeat of Bilbao Athletic. He contributed with two goals in 11 appearances during his first season, as his side missed out promotion in the play-offs.
Chukwueze made his first-team debut on 20 September 2018, replacing Nicola Sansone in a 2–2 home draw against Rangers, for the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League.[5] He also made his league debut on 5 November 2018, playing a 90-minute full play in a 1–1 home draw against Levante, for the 2018–19 La Liga.
In April 2019 he won the Nigeria Football Federation's 2018 Young Player of the Year award.[6]
International career
After playing for Nigeria at under-17 level, he received his first call-up to the senior team in October 2018.[7] He made his debut for the Nigerian senior team on 20 November 2018 as a starter in a 0–0 friendly draw against Uganda.[8][9]
In May 2019, Chukwueze was invited to represent Nigeria's senior team at the Africa Cup of Nations and the Under-20 team at the Under-20 World Cup. However, club side Villarreal said he could only play in one of the tournaments.[10] He was part of the Nigerian squad for Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Egypt.[11] He scored his first senior goal in Nigeria's 2–1 win over South Africa in the quarter finals.[12]
Playing style
He has been compared to Arjen Robben because of his skillset.[13]
50 for the future
The AFCON bronze medallist was on Tuesday, 30 July, revealed as one of the 50 youngsters to watch in world football by UEFA’s official website, with a worth of about $33 million. [14]
Titled: 50 for the future: UEFA.com’s ones to watch in 2019/20; Chukwueze, 20 was described as a "Precocious winger with UEFA Europa League experience; the Nigeria Football Federation’s young player of the year for 2017/18.[15]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played on 23 October 2019
Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Villarreal B | 2017–18[16] | Segunda División B | 11 | 2 | — | — | 11 | 2 | ||
2018–19[16] | 9 | 2 | — | — | 9 | 2 | ||||
Total | 20 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | |||
Villarreal | 2018–19[16] | La Liga | 26 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 9[a] | 1 | 38 | 8 |
2019–20[16] | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | |||
Total | 34 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 46 | 10 | ||
Career total | 54 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 66 | 14 |
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
- As of match played on 17 November 2019[17]
Nigeria national team | ||
Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|
2018 | 1 | 0 |
2019 | 12 | 2 |
Total | 13 | 2 |
International goals
- Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first.[17]
No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 10 July 2019 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | South Africa | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
2. | 17 November 2019 | Setsoto Stadium, Maseru, Lesotho | Lesotho | 2–1 | 4–2 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Honours
International
Individual
- FIFA U-17 World Cup: Bronze Boot: 2015[18]
- DFA: Most Influential Player of the year: 2016[19]
- MCL Cup: Most Valuable Player :2016[20]
References
- ^ "Samuel Chukwueze Biography (Exclusive Interview)". Diamond Football Academy Official Website. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ Naijagood TV (14 September 2016), Samuel Chukwueze Interview, retrieved 7 November 2018
- ^ "Samuel Chukwueze Biography (Exclusive Interview)". Diamond Football Academy. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Samuel Chukwueze signs 5 years Contract with Villarreal FC". Diamond Football Academy. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Samuel Chukwueze makes Villarreal debut in Rangers stalemate". Goal.com. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (2 April 2019). "'Motivated' Samuel Chukwueze wins award ahead of Osimhen and Onyekuru". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (6 November 2018). "Injury forces Francis Uzoho to withdraw from Nigeria squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "Nigeria v Uganda game report". ESPN. 20 November 2018.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (22 November 2018). "Samuel Chukwueze: Youngster says Nigeria debut fulfils a dream". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (7 May 2019). "Samuel Chukwueze: Villarreal winger facing Nigeria dilemma". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (9 June 2019). "Africa Cup of Nations: Iheanacho left out of Nigeria squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ Benson, Max (10 July 2019). "Nigeria 2-1 Bafana - last-gasp goal as South Africa crash out of Afcon 2019". The South African. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "Samuel Chukwueze: The Nigerian who wants to be like Arjen Robben". BBC Sport. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ Alaka, Jide (1 August 2019). "Five Nigerian footballers who must make sensible transfer decisions". Premium Times. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ UEFA.com. "50 for the future: UEFA.com's ones to watch in 2019/20". UEFA.com. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Samuel Chukwueze". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ a b Samuel Chukwueze at National-Football-Teams.com
- ^ a b FIFA.com. "FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 - Matches - Mali - Nigeria - FIFA.com". FIFA.com. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Awardees at DFA End of Year Party". Diamond Football Academy Official Website. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Samuel Chukwueze Turns 18 today". Diamond Football Academy Official Website. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
External links
- Samu Chukwueze at BDFutbol
- Samu Chukwueze at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
- Samu Chukwueze at Soccerway
- 1999 births
- Living people
- People from Abia State
- Nigerian footballers
- Association football wingers
- La Liga players
- Segunda División B players
- Villarreal CF B players
- Villarreal CF players
- Nigeria youth international footballers
- Nigeria international footballers
- Nigerian expatriate footballers
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
- Government College Umuahia alumni
- 2019 Africa Cup of Nations players