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Samuel Chukwueze

Samuel Chukwueze
Chukwueze with Villarreal in 2018
Personal information
Full name Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze
Date of birth (1999-05-22) 22 May 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Abia State, Nigeria
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Right winger
Team information
Current team
 AC Milan
Number 21
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)
2018–2023 Villarreal 155 (21)
2023– AC Milan 33 (2)
International career‡
2015 Nigeria U17 7 (3)
2018– Nigeria 41 (5)
Medal record
Representing  Nigeria
Africa Cup of Nations
Runner-up 2023 Ivory Coast
Third place 2019 Egypt
FIFA U-17 World Cup
Winner 2015 Chile
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:55, 30 October 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:33, 11 October 2024 (UTC)

Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze MON (// ⓘ; born 22 May 1999) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Serie A club AC Milan and the Nigeria national team.[2][3]

Early life and education

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Chukwueze was born in Amaokwe Ugba Ibeku, Abia State.[4] 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 and Arjen Robben as his football idols growing up.[5][6][7]

Club career

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Villarreal

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Chukwueze joined Villarreal CF's prolific youth setup in 2017, from local side Diamond Football Academy.[8] 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 3–2 away defeat against 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.[9] He also made his Laliga 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.[10]

On 12 April 2022, in the second leg of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League quarter-final away to Bayern Munich, Chukwueze scored the equaliser in the 88th minute, helping Villarreal progress to the semi-finals of the tournament.[11]

On 8 April 2023, Chukwueze scored a brace and recorded an assist against Real Madrid in a 3–2 away victory.[12]

AC Milan

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On 27 July 2023, Serie A club AC Milan announced the signing of Chukwueze, on a contract until 30 June 2028.[13][14] On 28 November, he scored his first goal at the club in a 3–1 home defeat against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.[15] On 13 December, he scored a later winner in the 84th minute in a 2–1 away victory over Newcastle United, which made his club to finish third in their group and qualify to the Europa League.[16] On 17 March, in a Serie A match against Hellas Verona, he came on as a substitute and scored the last goal in a 3–1 win, his first league goal for AC Milan.[17] On 14 April 2024, in the league game against Sassuolo, Chukwueze scored two goals, both of which were disallowed for microoffsides.[18]

International career

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Chukwueze (left) with Victor Apugo (center) and Kelechi Nwakali (right) in 2015

After playing for Nigeria at under-17 level, he received his first call-up to the senior team in October 2018.[19] He made his debut for the Nigerian senior team on 20 November 2018 as a starter in a 0–0 friendly draw against Uganda.[20][21]

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, Villarreal said he could only play in one of the tournaments.[22] He ultimately decided to take part with Nigerian's senior squad for Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Egypt[23] and scored his first senior goal in Nigeria's 2–1 win over South Africa in the quarter finals.[24]

Style of play

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Chukwueze's biggest strength is his pace and his runs in behind the defense. He is known for his blistering pace and his ability to use it effectively by drifting infield and peeling away. He feels really fast, especially in the attack, and is explosive. With the finisher chemstyle, he is very mobile and has surprisingly good ball control. Villarreal defender, Alberto Moreno has compared Chukwueze's style of play to that of Al Nassr's forward, Sadio Mane, indicating that they play football in a similar way.[25]

Chukwueze has been noted to have a weak right foot, which affects his ability to make crosses and progress possession when faced with a strong 1 v 1 defender. His predictable dribbling style can also make it challenging for him to progress the ball in certain situations. Chukwueze's defensive contribution has been described as weak, and he tends to prefer playing short passes without diving into tackles.[26]

Chukwueze is known for his pace, runs in behind the defense, and explosive playing style, which has drawn comparisons to Sadio Mane.[27][28][29]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 29 October 2024[30]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Villarreal B 2017–18 Segunda División B 11 2 — — 11 2
2018–19 9 2 — — 9 2
Total 20 4 — — 20 4
Villarreal 2018–19 La Liga 26 5 3 2 9[b] 1 38 8
2019–20 37 3 4 1 — 41 4
2020–21 28 4 1 0 11[b] 1 40 5
2021–22 27 3 2 2 9[c] 2 38 7
2022–23 37 6 4 4 9[d] 3 50 13
Total 155 21 14 9 38 7 207 37
AC Milan 2023–24 Serie A 24 1 1 0 8[e] 2 33 3
2024–25 9 1 0 0 2[c] 0 11 1
Total 33 2 1 0 10 2 44 4
Career total 208 27 15 9 48 9 271 45
  1. ^ Includes Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia
  2. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  5. ^ Four appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

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As of match played 11 October 2024[31]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Nigeria 2018 1 0
2019 12 2
2020 4 1
2021 2 0
2022 6 1
2023 5 1
2024 11 0
Total 41 5
Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Chukwueze goal.
List of international goals scored by Samuel Chukwueze[31]
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
3 13 November 2020 Ogbe Stadium, Benin City, Nigeria  Sierra Leone 4–0 4–4 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4 15 January 2022 Roumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua, Cameroon  Sudan 1–0 3–1 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
5 10 September 2023 Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria  São Tomé and Príncipe 6–0 6–0 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

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Chukwueze holding the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup Bronze Boot

Villarreal

Nigeria U17

Nigeria

Individual

Orders

References

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  1. ^ "Samuel Chukwueze". AC Milan. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Nigeria's Chukwueze joins Milan on 5-year deal". ESPN.com. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  3. ^ Rai, Guillermo. "AC Milan complete Chukwueze signing". The Athletic. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Samuel Chukwueze: Gịnị ka ị ma maka onye a na-ekwu na ọ bụ 'ọkacha agba na Super Eagles ugbua'?" [Samuel Chukwueze: What do you know about the person who is said to be 'the best in the Super Eagles now'?] (in Igbo). BBC Sport. 26 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Chukwueze: Villarreal winger reveals Okocha admiration". Goal.com. 4 September 2019. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  6. ^ Ogunwale, Joba (6 September 2019). "Messi, Ronaldo Or Robben? Samuel Chukwueze Reveals His Idol - Soccernet NG". Soccernet.ng. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Exclusive Samuel Chukwueze interview: Villarreal star on Robben, Messi, Nigeria and his incredible rise to fame | Goal.com Nigeria". www.goal.com. 4 September 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Samuel Chukwueze signs 5 years Contract with Villarreal FC". Diamond Football Academy. 5 September 2017. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Samuel Chukwueze makes Villarreal debut in Rangers stalemate". Goal.com. 20 September 2018. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  10. ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (2 April 2019). "'Motivated' Samuel Chukwueze wins award ahead of Osimhen and Onyekuru". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Villarreal's Samu Chuckwueze scores late goal to stun Bayern Munich". The Guardian. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Real Madrid crash to Villarreal defeat as title chances fall further away". ESPN. 8 April 2023. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  13. ^ "OFFICIAL STATEMENT: SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE". AC Milan. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  14. ^ Rai, Guillermo. "AC Milan complete Chukwueze signing". The Athletic. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Dortmund reach Champions League last 16 with 3-1 win at Milan". Reuters. 28 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Newcastle United 1–2 AC Milan". BBC Sport. 13 December 2023.
  17. ^ Ibrahim, Faruq (17 March 2024). "Gareth Southgate gives Chelsea star condition to make Euro 2024". Pulse Sports Nigeria. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Chukwueze denied two goals against Sassuolo by marginal offside calls - photos". 14 April 2024.
  19. ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (6 November 2018). "Injury forces Francis Uzoho to withdraw from Nigeria squad". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Nigeria v Uganda game report". ESPN. 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  21. ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (22 November 2018). "Samuel Chukwueze: Youngster says Nigeria debut fulfils a dream". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  22. ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (7 May 2019). "Samuel Chukwueze: Villarreal winger facing Nigeria dilemma". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  23. ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (9 June 2019). "Africa Cup of Nations: Iheanacho left out of Nigeria squad". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  24. ^ Benson, Max (10 July 2019). "Nigeria 2-1 Bafana - last-gasp goal as South Africa crash out of Afcon 2019". The South African. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  25. ^ "Player Analysis: Samuel Chukwueze". Breaking The Lines. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Samuel Chukwueze insight: Scouting report, stats, transfer rating and more". SempreMilancom. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  27. ^ "Pioli heaps praise on 'changed' Chukwueze: "He believes in what he does"". OneFootball. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Samuel Chukwueze Stats, Info and performances". FootballCritic. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  29. ^ Omorogbe, Paul (10 May 2021). "Playing in LaLiga at Villarreal CF has changed the way I understood football ― Samuel Chukwueze". Tribune Online. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  30. ^ "S. Chukwueze". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  31. ^ a b Samuel Chukwueze at National-Football-Teams.com
  32. ^ "Chukwueze wins Europa League title with Villarreal as Man Utd's trophy drought continues". Ripples Nigeria. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  33. ^ a b "FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 - Matches - Mali - Nigeria". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  34. ^ Stevens, Rob (11 February 2024). "Nigeria 1–2 Ivory Coast". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  35. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  36. ^ "Villarreal CF's Samuel Chukwueze is the 2022/2023 LaLiga Santander African MVP Award winner". La Liga. 12 June 2023. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  37. ^ "Afcon: Ivory Coast and Nigeria players get cash, villas and honours". BBC News. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
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