Seyi Olofinjana

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Seyi Olofinjana

Olofinjana training with Cardiff City in 2011
Personal information
Full nameSeyi George Olofinjana[1]
Date of birth (1980-06-30) 30 June 1980[1]
Place of birthLagos, Nigeria
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current clubSheffield Wednesday
Number35
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1998–1999Crown?(?)
1999–2003Kwara United?(?)
2003–2004Brann34(11)
2004–2008Wolverhampton Wanderers135(16)
2008–2009Stoke City18(2)
2009–2013Hull City34(1)
2010–2011→ Cardiff City (loan)39(6)
2013→ Sheffield Wednesday (loan)6(0)
2013Sheffield Wednesday8(0)
National team‡
2002–2010Nigeria44(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:11, 26 October 2013 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17:04, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

Seyi George Olofinjana (born 30 June 1980) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Sheffield Wednesday.

Olofinjana began his career with local sides Crown and Kwara United before moving to Europe with Norwegian side SK Brann. After two seasons at Brann he moved to English club Wolverhampton Wanderers. He became a regular at Molineux making 213 appearances for the club over four seasons before joining Premier League club Stoke City in August 2008 for a fee of £3 million. He played only the 2008–09 season with the team before joining another top flight side, Hull City, again for a fee of £3 million. At Hull Olofinjana struggled to hold down a regular place in the side and spent time out on loan before his deal expired.

Career

Early career

Born in Lagos,[1] Olofinjana started his career at Crown FC, and later moved on to play in the Nigerian Premier League for Kwara United. During this time, he also broke into the Nigeria national team, making his debut in June 2000 in a 3–2 win over Malawi.[2] The midfielder moved to Norwegian club Brann in 2003 after graduating from the University, where he played one season, and went on to play in every game of the 2004 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia, as Nigeria finished third.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

In July 2004 he moved to England to sign for Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of £1.7 million.[3] After having become a regular player for the club, his second season was curtailed by a back injury that also forced him to miss the 2006 African Cup of Nations.[2] In the 2006–07 season, however, finishing as the club's top league goalscorer as they made the play-offs under Mick McCarthy. He netted Wolves' opening goal of the following campaign in a 2–1 defeat to Watford, but could not repeat his goalscoring level of the previous season, scoring only twice more. He missed part of the season as he competed in the 2008 African Cup of Nations where Nigeria lost in the quarter-finals.[2]

Stoke City

In June 2008, following Wolves' failure to win promotion, Olofinjana signed for newly promoted Premier League club Stoke City on a four-year deal for £3 million.[4] He scored his first goal for the club in a home game against Everton in September 2008. After making 21 appearances during the season, Stoke accepted a £2.5 million bid in the close season from French side AS Monaco. Negotiations broke down with Monaco, allowing Hull City to sign Olofinjana for £3 million.[5]

Hull City

Olofinjana playing for Hull City in 2012

Olofinjana joined the Tigers with the club competing in the top division of English football for the only their second-ever season. He scored his first goal for Hull City in a 2–1 win against his former club, Stoke City in November 2009.[6] However, the team was relegated back to the Championship at the end of the campaign amid financial worries.[7] The midfielder was one of a number of departures during the close season as he agreed a season-long loan at fellow Championship team Cardiff City.[8]

At the Welsh club, Olofinjana was reunited with Dave Jones, who had originally brought him into English football when manager of Wolves. The midfielder featured regularly as the team reached the promotion play-offs but lost to Reading. After a total of 42 senior appearances for Cardiff, including their two games in the play-offs,[9] it was announced that he would return to Hull following the loan spell.[10]

Back at Hull, a lengthy knee injury meant that Olofinjana made only five appearances during the 2011–12 season.[11] Although he featured more regularly for the club during the following campaign, he was unable to retain a regular place in their team and was instead loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday in March 2013 until the season's conclusion.[12] Here, he again reunited with Dave Jones and helped the team move clear of the relegation zone during his six appearances.

At the conclusion of the 2012–13 season Olofinjana's contract with Hull City expired, leaving him a free agent.[13] He left having made 40 appearances during a four-season stay.[14]

Sheffield Wednesday

Following his release from Hull, Olofinjana joined Sheffield Wednesday on 26 October 2013 and played in a 1–1 draw against Barnsley.[15][16]

Career statistics

As of 14 June 2013[14]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
SK Brann 2003[17] Tippeligaen 25930––289
2004[17] Tippeligaen 9220––112
Total 34114000003811
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2004–05 Championship 4252020–465
2005–06 Championship 1300010–140
2006–07 Championship 4483110215010
2007–08 Championship 3631000–373
Total 1351661402114718
Stoke City 2008–09 Premier League 1821020–212
Total 182102000212
Hull City 2009–10 Premier League 1910000–191
2010–11 Championship 000000–00
2011–12 Championship 302000–50
2012–13 Championship 1203010–160
Total 341501000401
Cardiff City (loan) 2010–11 Championship 396001020426
Total 366001020426
Sheffield Wednesday (loan) 2012–13 Championship 600000–60
Sheffield Wednesday 2013–14 Championship 100000–10
Total 7000000070
Career total 26736171804129438
^A The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Championship play-offs.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Mainstream Publishing. p. 319. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Profiles". Hull City A.F.C. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013. 
  3. ↑ "Seyi Olofinjana: Hull City FC". Sporting Heroes Collection Ltd. Retrieved 31 March 2012. 
  4. ↑ "Stoke sign midfielder Olofinjana". BBC Sport. 26 July 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
  5. ↑ "Stoke's Olofinjana set for Monaco". BBC Sport. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
  6. ↑ Ornstein, David (8 November 2009). "Hull 2–1 Stoke". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
  7. ↑ "Hull ban new arrivals". The Sun. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010. 
  8. ↑ "Cardiff City sign Hull's Seyi Olofinjana on loan". BBC Sport. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
  9. ↑ "20. Seyi Olofinjana". Soccerbase. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
  10. ↑ "Confirmation: 2011 Retained List". Cardiff City F.C. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
  11. ↑ "Seyi Olofinjana comes in from the cold". Hull Daily Mail. 20 December 2011. 
  12. ↑ "Seyi Olofinjana: Sheffield Wednesday sign Hull midfielder". BBC Sport. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013. 
  13. ↑ "Hull release Olofinjana". Supersport.com. 17 May 2013. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Seyi Olofinjana". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 April 2013. 
  15. ↑ "Olofinjana signs". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Retrieved 26 October 2013. 
  16. ↑ "Barnsley 1-1 Sheff Wed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 October 2013. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Seyi George Olofinjana" (in Norwegian). SK Brann. Retrieved 31 March 2012. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Seyi Olofinjana.
Nigeria squad – 2004 African Cup of Nations Third Place
Nigeria
Nigeria squad – 2008 Africa Cup of Nations
Nigeria
Nigeria squad – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Third Place
Nigeria
Sheffield Wednesday F.C. – current squad
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