Roy Odiaka (born 22 March 1992) is a former French footballer of Nigerian descent who played as a forward. He last played for Universitatea Cluj.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roy Odiaka | ||
| Date of birth | 22 March 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Colombes, France | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2007 | AF Garenne Colombes | ||
| 2007–2010 | Dulwich Hamlet | ||
| 2010–2012 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 2012 | Stoke City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2010 | Dulwich Hamlet | 4 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Beckenham Town | 6 | (1) |
| 2013 | Walton Casuals | 4 | (0) |
| 2013 | Walton & Hersham | 3 | (2) |
| 2013 | Universitatea Cluj | 4 | (0) |
| Total | 21 | (5) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 March 2016 | |||
Club career
editOdiaka's career began with AFC Garenne Colombes, who he featured for in the youth ranks. At the age of 16, Odiaka was handed the opportunity of a trial with Norwich City. He featured for the Under-18s in a fixture with Norfolk County in August 2008, in which he scored twice. However, he later joined Dulwich Hamlet before a move to the Canaries could progress.[1]
In July 2010, Odiaka was snapped up by Crystal Palace and he headed into the Under-21s. He went on to line-up for Stoke City Under-21s on three occasions, scoring once. With his first taste of action coming in a 5-1 defeat to Newcastle United on 3 September 2012, a debut goal would also be his only goal for the club. Following a 7-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, his final appearance came in against Southampton in early October.
After failing to impress, he joined non-league outfit Beckenham Town in February 2012. Scoring one goal for the club, in a 3-0 win over Rochester United, he later joined Isthmian League Division One South club Walton Casuals for a short spell. Following four appearances, in which he failed to find the net, he joined local rivals Walton & Hersham.
Odiaka then moved to Romania to play in Liga I, joining Universitatea Cluj.[2] After a successful trial earlier in the month, in which manager Ionel Ganea took less than 24 hours to offer a deal,[3] he made his professional debut on 21 July 2013, replacing Cătălin Dedu at half-time in a 1-0 defeat to Petrolul Ploiești.[4] Despite signing a three-year contract, he managed just a further three appearances before having his contract terminated on 10 September 2013.
Due to family relations, Odiaka was eligible to represent Nigeria, France or Senegal national teams.
References
edit- ^ "Flown From the Nest - Roy Odiaka". www.ex-canaries.co.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
- ^ "Stoke City's Roy Odiaka Trialing With Universitatea Cluj:: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". www.allnigeriasoccer.com. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Former Stoke City Youngster Roy Odiaka Pens Three - Year Deal With Universitatea Cluj:: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". www.allnigeriasoccer.com. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
- ^ "England - R. Odiaka - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
External links
edit- Roy Odiaka at WorldFootball.net