Mipo Odubeko

Ademipo "Mipo" Ibrahim Odubeko (born 21 October 2002) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Huddersfield Town on loan from Premier League club West Ham United.

He made his professional debut for West Ham in 2021 and has represented the Republic of Ireland on the international stage at various youth levels, although he remains eligible to play for both England and Nigeria.

Club Career

Early life and career

Odubeko was born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland to Nigerian parents and grew up in Tallaght, and he spent his formative years playing football for St Joseph's Boys. When he was fourteen years old, Odubeko and his family relocated to Manchester in England where, despite initially encountering registration concerns due to FIFA's prohibition on the international transfer of minors, he later represented both Manchester City and Manchester United at youth level. He spent the majority of his remaining schoolboy years with the latter, where he scored on his U18 Premier League debut and netted 35 times in total, before joining the academy side of fellow Premier League club West Ham United in 2019.

West Ham United

In October 2019, shortly after celebrating his 17th birthday, Odubeko turned down a contract extension with Manchester United in order to sign a three-year-deal with West Ham. Over the course of the next two seasons, he excelled with the club's development side and scored 11 goals in 10 appearances in the Premier League 2, winning the competition's Player of the Month award in April 2021 in the process. Odubeko's form at youth level caught the attention of first team manager David Moyes during the 2020–21 season and he made two senior appearances for the campaign, making his debut as a substitute for Michail Antonio in the club's 1–0 FA Cup third round victory over Stockport County, before featuring again in the follow