| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ikechi Anya | ||
| Date of birth | 3 January 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Cádiz | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2003 | Oxford United | ||
| 2003–2004 | Wycombe Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2007 | Wycombe Wanderers | 18 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Oxford City | ||
| 2008 | Halesowen Town | 17 | (0) |
| 2009 | Northampton Town | 14 | (3) |
| 2009–2010 | Sevilla Atlético | 22 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Celta B | 35 | (8) |
| 2011 | Celta | 1 | (0) |
| 2011– | Granada CF | 0 | (0) |
| 2011– | → Cádiz (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:33, 7 July 2009 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Ikechi Anya (born 3 January 1988 in Glasgow, Scotland) plays as a striker for Spanish club Cádiz, on loan from Granada.
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Anya was born in Glasgow, Scotland, his father is a Nigerian research scientist, and his mother a Romanian economist. The couple met while studying at the Universities in Bucharest. After finishing their studies, his parents moved to Scotland in the late 1980s, for his dad to obtain his doctorate in Metallurgy. Anya has an older brother, Chima, a medical doctor by profession and a hip-hop artist as a hobby [1] who lives in London UK, and taught him how to play football.[2]
Anya joined the Wycombe Wanderers youth team in the 2003–04 season, having been released by Oxford United.
His performances in the youth team ensured that he was well talked about within the club, enough that he was given the number 28 shirt by then manager Tony Adams for the match at Southend United on 11 September 2004, becoming the clubs youngester ever player at aged 16.[3]
Like Russell Martin, he committed his short term future to the club, signing a two year deal in June 2005 and whilst at Wycombe won Apprentice of the year at the inaugural Football League awards 2006.[4]
He was released in the summer of 2007 and signed for Oxford City, before being snapped up in January 2008 by Halesowen Town. In the summer of 2008 he joined the Glenn Hoddle Academy and his contract expired in the summer of 2010.[5][6]
On 28 February 2009, Anya signed for League One side Northampton Town. He made his debut as coming on as a substitute in the game away to Cheltenham Town on the same day.[7] His first goal for the club came as part of a 3–4 defeat against Swindon Town on 24 March.[8] His second goal came in the 92nd minute of the 3–1 victory at Leyton Orient, his goal wrapping up a vital victory in the fight against relegation for Northampton which they eventually lost.
Northampton manager Stuart Gray was keen to re-sign Anya on a long-term deal at the end of the season, but on 7 July 2009, he joined Sevilla Atlético, the reserve side of Sevilla, on a two-year contract.[9][10]
Anya signed by Celta Vigo in July 2010 after his contract with the Glenn Hoddle Academy expired.[11]
On 13 July 2011, Anya signed a three-year contract with newly promoted La Liga side Granada.[12] He was then loaned out to Cádiz for the season. [13]
Anya has expressed a desire to play international football for Scotland, the land of his birth, but is also eligible for England, Nigeria and Romania.[14][15][16]