Chuba Akpom

Chuba Akpom

Personal information
Full name	Chuba Amechi Akpom[1]
Date of birth	(1995-10-09) 9 October 1995[2]
Place of birth	London Borough of Newham, England[3]
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[4]
Playing position	Striker[2]
Club information
Current club	Brentford (on loan from Arsenal)
Number	23
Youth career
2002–2013	Arsenal[2]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2013–	Arsenal	1	(0)
2014	→ Brentford (loan)	4	(0)
National team‡
2011	England U16[5]	2	(0)
2011–2012	England U17[5]	13	(5)
2012–	England U19[5]	10	(6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:29, 14 September 2013 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16:29, 14 September 2013 (UTC)

Chuba Amechi Akpom (born 9 October 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal in the Premier League. He represents England U19 at international level.

Club career

Arsenal

Akpom has been with Arsenal since the age of six, having previously interested West Ham United and Charlton Athletic.^[6][7] He made his debut for the Arsenal U18 side at the age of 15, and signed his first professional contract with Arsenal on 10 October 2012, a day after turning 17.^[7][8] In December 2012 Akpom received his first call into the Arsenal senior squad, when he was an unused substitute for a 2-1 Champions League defeat to Olympiakos.^[9] He made 20 U21 Premier League appearances during the 2012/13 season and scored 13 goals, including 10 goals in 10 games in the Elite Group Stage.^[10] In the lead-up to the 2013/14 season, Akpom was selected for Arsenal's pre-season tour of Asia and scored once in a 7–0 win against an Indonesia Dream Team, two more in a 7-1 win against Vietnam^[11][12][13] and another in Arsenal's final game of the tour against Urawa Red Diamonds.^[14] Akpom made his competitive debut in a 3-1 Premier League win over Sunderland on 14 September 2013. He came on in the third minute of injury time as a substitute for the injured Olivier Giroud.^[15] Akpom was an unused substitute for the following game against Marseille in the Champions League. Akpom's second Arsenal appearance came in a League Cup third round tie away to West Bromwich Albion on 25 September.^[16] He replaced goalscorer Thomas Eisfeld after 82 minutes and with the scores at 1-1 at full time, the game entered extra time.^[16] Akpom played the full scoreless extra time period and scored Arsenal's third penalty in the ensuing shootout, helping Arsenal to a win.^[16] Akpom was an unused substitute for a 2-0 Premier League win over Liverpool on 2 November.^[17] He scored three goals in four UEFA Youth League appearances towards the end of 2013.^[18] Akpom scored a hattrick in a 6-1 FA Youth Cup fourth round demolition of Peterborough United on 6 January 2014.^[19]

Brentford (loan)

On 30 December 2013, it was reported that League One sides Brentford, Peterborough United, Leyton Orient and Milton Keynes Dons were in a four-way battle to sign Akpom on loan.^[20] Brentford emerged as the favourites to land Akpom, due to club's head of recruitment, Shaun O'Connor, having signed originally signed Akpom while working for Arsenal.^[20] The loan was thrown into doubt due to an injuries suffered to Arsenal strikers Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner in early January 2014,^[21] but was completed on 9 January, with Akpom signing for a month.^[22] Manager Mark Warburton said "Chuba is strong and quick, with a very good first touch. He’s greedy and enjoys scoring goals. It’s his first loan spell and League One is tough, so he might take some time to adapt. It’s a big jump from Under 21 football".^[22] He missed the first match of his loan through illness^[23] and Warburton stressed that Akpom would have to "work hard and earn his place like everyone else".^[24] Akpom made his debut in a 1-1 league draw at Walsall on 19 January.^[25] He came on for Will Grigg after 68 minutes and provided a cross for Clayton Donaldson in the dying moments, which went unconverted.^[26] After making four four substitute appearances,^[27] Akpom returned to Arsenal when his loan expired.^[28]

International career

On 15 February 2011 Akpom made his debut for England U16s in a friendly match against Slovenia, which ended in a 0–0 draw.^[29] He second and final game for the U16s came in a 3-0 2010/11 Victory Shield win over Northern Ireland on 23 March 2011.^[30] On 2 August 2011 Akpom made his U17 debut, scoring once in 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands.^[31] He played in all six games and scored two goals during England's unsuccessful 2012 European U17 Championship qualifying campaign. He made 13 appearances in total for the U17s and scored five goals.^[30] On 6 September 2012 Akpom made his England U19 debut in a 3-1 defeat to Germany.^[32] He scored his first goal for the U19s on 26 September 2012, in a 3-0 2013 European U19 Championship qualifying win over Estonia.^[33] Two days later, he scored two goals in a 6-0 win over the Faroe Islands.^[34] He played in five of England's six 2013 European U19 Championship qualifying and elite stage games and scored three goals, as England failed to qualify for the finals.

Career statistics

As of 25 January 2014.^[35]

References

External links

• Chuba Akpom profile at Arsenal.com
• Chuba Akpom profile at the Football Association website
• Chuba Akpom profile at Premier League website
• Chuba Akpom career stats at Soccerbase