Mipo Odubeko F Shelbourne b.2002

[tetsujin1979]

Odubeko named on the bench for West Ham, Randolph starts in goal
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[tetsujin1979]

Odubeko gets a few minutes at the end of the game for west ham
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[John83]

Just looking for basic info on him, I found these:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7241059/Manchester-United-fail-tie-teenage-goalscoring-sensation-Mipo-Odubeko-new-contract.html
https://www.the42.ie/mipo-odubeko-west-ham-united-ireland-signing-manchester-united-4867317-Oct2019/

[youngirish]

Odubeko looks to be a really good prospect. Unfortunately there's some doubt on here on whether the will want to play for us if he does turn out to be good enough for England.

[Diggs246]

was he born in Ireland?

[Philly]

Born and raised in Dublin - https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2020/march/24-march/ademipo-odubeko-goalscoring-emerald-isle-east-end

[elatedscum]

Cabra as far as I’m aware

[Diggs246]

Surely he will either play for Nigeria or us?

[ColourfulPeanut]

Surely he will either play for Nigeria or us?
He's eligible for England if he spent 5 years there before he was 18, which he did. The same way Oko-Flex dabbled with England.

It's purely paranoid speculation coming from my snooping, but he wiped his Instagram of Ireland photos and follows England's account but not Ireland.

He played with Crumlin and is for all intents and purposes a Dub, but there's no way of telling what his national allegiance will be. If he's not in the U19s in March then I'd be worried.

[tetsujin1979]

He turned 18 in October, do we know when he moved to the UK?
He was with Manchester United in 2016 - https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/under-15s-squad-named-for-poland-double-header - so he's there at least four years

[Olé Olé]

He turned 18 in October, do we know when he moved to the UK?
He was with Manchester United in 2016 - https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/under-15s-squad-named-for-poland-double-header - so he's there at least four years

As I posted in the under 23 thread:

The last I can find of him playing for St Joseph's is in 2015: http://dairewalsh.com/?p=3630

He would have been 12 at the time as he turned 18 in October 2020. He could have been schooled in England for 15/16, 16/17, 17/18, 18/19 and 19/20 before turning 18 in October 2020.

He was at Man City before Man United so, he could have moved to Man City (his first English club) in time to begin the 15/16 school year. That is what this Nigerian website reckon- he relocated to England with family at 12 in time for the 15/16 school year: https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/rea...76126419175533 (https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=31271&fb_comment_id=2076079575846884_2076126419175533)

[Exgrad]

His last appearances for Ireland were for friendlies against Finland in the build up to the u17 Euros in Ireland in 2019. So did he not make the squad for the tournament or was there something else? There was an u18 friendly and u19 qualifiers in late 2019 which he wasn't involved in, but otherwise no other opportunities due to Covid. Looks like his social media accounts are run by a management company now, so wouldn't read too much into them.

[CraftyToePoke]

It's purely paranoid speculation coming from my snooping, but he wiped his Instagram of Ireland photos and follows England's account but not Ireland.

This is not good, whatever way you spin it. Not beyond rescue hopefully but a nationality wipe is harsh.

[Eirambler]

I would definitely be concerned about this lads commitment to us. It was strange at the time that he didn't make that Under 17 finals squad, as though possibly he asked not to be selected but it was never publicised. Wouldn't be at all surprised if he went with England for a while at least, agents are filling young players heads with the potential riches associated with being an England international these days. If he was only here until age 12 his affinity towards us might not be strong at all.

I suppose the question then is could be switch back in a few years time - was it just friendlies he played for us or did he play in any qualifiers for that under 17 tournament?

[Exgrad]

We were hosts for that u17 tournament so no competitive qualifiers.

Might be a player to try and fast track, rather than have him knocking about with u19s etc.

[seanfhear]

We were hosts for that u17 tournament so no competitive qualifiers.

Might be a player to try and fast track, rather than have him knocking about with u19s etc.
Maybe he doesn’t want to play for us. After Rice and Grealish maybe we need to have a bit more self respect. Those two played the system and when England came calling were orf. The Irish National Team has to command some respect from the Irish People and Not be some sort of finnishing school for players that really want to play for England / Other.

[Eirambler]

We were hosts for that u17 tournament so no competitive qualifiers.

Might be a player to try and fast track, rather than have him knocking about with u19s etc.

Good point - I forgot we didn't have to qualify.

I guess we'll find out either way in the spring. Although England announced some underage squads not too long ago at various age groups and he wasn't included in any of them. At least if he does indeed want to play for another country there's a route back if he sees the error of his ways!

[Diggs246]

Maybe he doesn’t want to play for us. After Rice and Grealish maybe we need to have a bit more self respect. Those two played the system and when England came calling were orf. The Irish National Team has to command some respect from the Irish People and Not be some sort of finnishing school for players that really want to play for England / Other.

100% The appeasement of Rice was mortifying. We degraded ourselves with Bamford as well, and I would have vomited if we had Redmond in our team after he played for England

[ColourfulPeanut]

Maybe he doesn’t want to play for us. After Rice and Grealish maybe we need to have a bit more self respect. Those two played the system and when England came calling were orf. The Irish National Team has to command some respect from the Irish People and Not be some sort of finnishing school for players that really want to play for England / Other.
Odubeko was born and raised in Ireland though, so it's a bit different. Irish is his primary nationality and likely his only passport at present.

It's complicated for the Irish-Nigerian lads though, they are likely the first generation of their family who is Irish, it's understandable to have different levels of affinity to the country.

Chiedozie Ogbene was in the same school as me, amazing gaelic football player and as big a Cork man as they come. He was adamant about representing Nigeria until a few years ago and changed his mind last year. Completely understandable for Odubeko to be undecided and uncommitted as yet.

[Charlie Darwin]

I think we would probably all benefit from not obsessing over every dual-national that comes along. The James McCarthy thread was ridiculous for about two years.

[DCWA]

If they pull on the shirt they will be supported. If they do particularly well in an Ireland team that does particularly well they will be idolised. Previous national affiliations won’t matter a bit nor would any youthful indecision. The Irish sporting public are a simple animal.

[Fixer82]

Best of luck to the lads of dual nationality, whatever decision they make.
But it would be nice for International Football as a whole if it were possible to avoid a Rice/Grealish situation in the future.
I like the idea of a player having until their 19th/20th birthday to make a decision on their nationality and after that it's stuck.
I also like the idea of a player having to have been born in the country they represent or have at least one parent born, rather than grandparent.
But I know that will never happen.

[Eirambler]

It's never going to be perfect and there will always be cases where supporters are left unhappy with decisions. Both Rice and Grealish made their decisions at 20 years of age, and that doesn't seem to have appeased many people. Especially in Grealish's case, given that he is an English lad that never featured in a senior squad for us, I think the criticism of him is way over the top. Rice I felt shouldn't have taken the senior caps if he wasn't fully committed, but that's just my own opinion.

I think half the problem is that most supporters are one country nationals and don't really understand the additional complications of being a national of two or more countries. Most of us here feel 100% Irish but it's not always that straightforward. In the end we'll win some and we'll lose some.

I think the new rules that draw something of a line at the 21st birthday help somewhat, the change I'd make is that I'd like to go back to a senior cap committing a player, regardless of age. Personally I'd be happy for players to chop and change as they wish at underage level, it's not that important anyway, but once you take a senior cap that should be it.

[tetsujin1979]

Could make his league debut this weekend against Burnley
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[Diggs246]

Its a real shame, we even have to worry/wonder if he wants to play for his country. it doesn't sit well with me
I will taken it on the chin he he goes for Nigeria, but to try play for England if there is any truth in that, you will see me dressed as batman handcuffed to the Dail gate in protest

[John83]

Huh. I could scoff at both of you simultaneously. That'd be entertaining.

[youngirish]

If we had a team that wasn't as tragically poor as it has been over the past few years you would expect we could pick up more of these kids with dual nationality. The promise of a bit part in a few games for England at the Euros or World Cup must be so much more attractive than the thought of lining out for an Ireland team regularly beaten by the likes of Wales and Finland and with no hope of making any tournaments for the foreseeable future.

[Olé Olé]

Its a real shame, we even have to worry/wonder if he wants to play for his country. it doesn't sit well with me
I will taken it on the chin he he goes for Nigeria, but to try play for England if there is any truth in that, you will see me dressed as batman handcuffed to the Dail gate in protest

Truth in what though? The baseless speculation?

[nigel-harps1954]

Has there been any indication whatsoever that this lad doesn't want to play for Ireland? Anything at all? Other than a suggestion based off a look at his instagram account?

[ColourfulPeanut]

Has there been any indication whatsoever that this lad doesn't want to play for Ireland? Anything at all? Other than a suggestion based off a look at his instagram account?
Other than the fact he was conspicuously absent from the U17 competitive fixtures after playing the friendlies, then not lining up again for us and at the same time wiping away the Ireland pictures and references from his accounts but nothing else.

It's speculation but not baseless. No point worrying about it or not giving him the benefit of the doubt though.

If he's not with the U19s or given our options up front and the Qatar friendly, even the seniors in March then we can talk about it.

[Charlie Darwin]

Has there been any indication whatsoever that this lad doesn't want to play for Ireland? Anything at all? Other than a suggestion based off a look at his instagram account?
No. I think Irish fans on some level just need the drama and the uncertainty.

[Diggs246]

"wiping away the Ireland pictures" on his social media page. In the world we now live in, that is proof believe it or not. He might fingers crossed play for us, but a young guy doesn't accidentally do that

[samhaydenjr]

Made the subs' bench again today, which is a good sign. Worryingly, however there was an English flag by his name when the line-up came on

[Bottle of Tonic]

The 5 year residency rule is terrible. Especially when a lad moves because of football. No way should England try to pick the lad. Have they any previous for this type of thing?

Poor form from the lad as well if he does decide to throw his lot in with them. It's not like your identity changes that much between age 12 and 17. I went to secondary school in a neighbouring county aged 12. It would be like me coming out after the leaving hoping to join their county set up. Unthinkable!

That said I wouldn't expect the lad to have built up much allegiance to Ireland in his early years given his background and demographic. If he decided to play the country of his roots/parents then absolutely fair enough. But England would be a real slap in the face.

[seanfhear]

The 5 year residency rule is terrible. Especially when a lad moves because of football. No way should England try to pick the lad. Have they any previous for this type of thing?

Poor form from the lad as well if he does decide to throw his lot in with them. It's not like your identity changes that much between age 12 and 17. I went to secondary school in a neighbouring county aged 12. It would be like me coming out after the leaving hoping to join their county set up. Unthinkable!

That said I wouldn't expect the lad to have built up much allegiance to Ireland in his early years given his background and demographic. If he decided to play the country of his roots/parents then absolutely fair enough. But England would be a real slap in the face.
Perhaps his Agent and Money come in to it !

[Eirambler]

They have previous going all the way back to John Barnes. They had no problem calling Okoflex in to take a look at him either. If he qualifies, is considered good enough and wants to play, they will pick him.

[Charlie Darwin]

The five year residency only strictly applies to years spent in a country when you're over 18. FIFA do make exceptions for players who move at a young age but it's not guaranteed.

[Eirambler]

The new regs have clarified this I think. For players who move to the new country between the ages of 10 and 18, they are eligible once they have lived there for five years. So, if Odubeko has been there for five years, or as soon as he is there for five years, he will be eligible. He will not need to switch nations as he has never played competitively for us. However, he would be able to switch to us or Nigeria in future provided he doesn't win multiple senior caps for England or represent them competitively after his 21st birthday.

[seanfhear]

Of course Clubs would also prefer Players to Pick England if possible because being an England International or even a Potential England International puts a Premium of quite a lot of money on players including earning power for the player = = Thats the way it is.

[Colbert Report]

West Ham are likely to sell Declan Rice for huge money sometime in the next three transfer windows. If he wasn't playing for England, you can knock a large portion of his transfer fee off, so you can hardly blame West Ham for protecting their investment.

[seanfhear]

West Ham are likely to sell Declan Rice for huge money sometime in the next three transfer windows. If he wasn't playing for England, you can knock a large portion of his transfer fee off, so you can hardly blame West Ham for protecting their investment.
Very true ~ ~ Just think if you are using Declan Rice as an advertising Vehicle as an England International ( particularly if successful ) selling in to a Market of 58 million people (approx) the amount of revenues selling in to suck a market can generate. Ireland is in the half-penney place in comparison !

[Trequartista20]

https://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/i-got-a-lot-of-racism-but-i-was-strong-enough-to-get-on-with-it-39978795.html

Anyone read this article? It's behind a paywall.

Is he referring to racism directed at him whilst in Ireland?

[tetsujin1979]

Odubeko missed the game against West Brom on Tuesday after a positive COVID test, but has since returned a negative test, so West Ham are waiting on advice before including him against Doncaster this weekend

[elatedscum]

Interesting article on mipo by Roshane Thomas of the Athletic:

In Dublin, a 12-year-old named Ademipo Odubeko was earning a reputation for being a prospect everyone had to see. Such was the level of excitement, Manchester City scout Michael Collins went to one of his games to find out why this kid was the talk of the town. Within 10 minutes, Collins had seen enough — he was informing City about a precocious talent.
Odubeko, now 18, who made his West Ham United first-team debut in their FA Cup third-round win over Stockport County this month, played for St Joseph’s Boys, one of the most famous clubs in the south of Dublin.
The highly-rated youngster, who was born in the Republic of Ireland but also qualifies for Nigeria, was one of the best players in his age group and when Collins turned up to see what the fuss was about, he was instantly impressed.
“He was playing in a game and I was on the sidelines with Mick,” Bernard Byrne, who was head coach for St Joseph’s then, tells The Athletic. “Mipo immediately caught Mick’s attention.
“Mick said, ‘Is he right- or left-footed?’ I said, ‘He’s predominantly right-footed’, and within five seconds Mipo hit a brilliant strike 25 yards with his left foot and it went in the top corner. Mick jokingly asks, ‘Are you sure he’s right-footed?’
“Within five minutes of that, Mipo did the same thing with his right foot. Mick was a bit speechless.”
Odubeko’s family, who had been planning to relocate to the north west, moved to England but because of FIFA’s ban on the international transfer of minors clubs could not sign him. There was an exemption for players from the European Economic Area, but only those between the age of 16 and 18, a rule that no longer applies for British clubs, of course. The only other exception to FIFA’s ban is if a player’s whole family relocates for non-football reasons — i.e. asylum or a parent’s job. This can, however, take time to establish.
“When Mipo and his family moved to Manchester they weren’t registered for the perceived amount of time they were supposed to be so no club could touch him,” says Byrne.
“If English clubs want to take a young Irish kid, they need to have all the permissions in place. They have to email or write to the club and the FAI (Ireland’s FA) and say, ‘Can we have permission to take this player on trial?’, and so on and so forth. So Mipo went unregistered for quite some time.”
As he and the family settled in England, he attracted the attention of Manchester United, and was free to sign for them in his early teens. He grew to become one of the standout players for their youth team. He scored 35 goals for United Under-18s and the club were determined to tie him down to a long-term contract. But those close to Odubeko felt he was not being pushed enough.
Odubeko was stalling over his future and was in and out of the youth team at United. He even played as a centre-back in two matches — but still ended up scoring. Meanwhile, West Ham were monitoring the situation, and the young striker rejected terms at Old Trafford and moved to the Londoners in October 2019 shortly after turning 17.
West Ham faced a lot of competition for Odubeko, with the likes of Juventus, Bayern Munich, Newcastle United and Feyenoord all monitoring his situation, but he signed a contract which expires in the summer of 2022.

Odubeko is well thought of at the club, not only for his ability but also his character and willingness to learn. He trained with the first team before the Stockport game, having also featured as a late second-half substitute in the pre-season friendly against Ipswich Town in August.
David Moyes and first-team coach Paul Nevin were then in attendance at the Roots Hall when he scored twice in the under-23s’ 3-1 win over Southend United in the EFL Trophy the following month. Moyes is believed to have considered giving Odubeko his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup second round tie against Charlton Athletic a week on from that Southend game, but a hamstring injury ruled him out.
With £45 million record signing Sebastien Haller leaving the club after just 18 months to join Ajax at the start of the current transfer window, Odubeko got the nod to be involved in the FA Cup too.
With Michail Antonio’s importance paramount amid his persistent injury problems, Odubeko could well feature in the FA Cup again this weekend in a fourth-round tie at home against League One promotion chasers Doncaster Rovers.
Odubeko, who led the line for Republic of Ireland Under-16s in their successful 2017 Victory Shield campaign, and has also represented them at under-17 level, is focused on trying to emulate the careers of Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne.
He is from Tallaght, an area in the south of Dublin where Keane and Dunne, who both enjoyed lengthy Premier League and international careers, grew up.
Odubeko was 11 when Byrne first spotted his potential. He has coached St Joseph’s Boys for more than 20 years and the West Ham starlet is the standout.
“Mipo played against us for a club called Crumlin United,” Byrne says. “In that age group, we were very strong but after the game, all the lads couldn’t stop talking about Mipo. Just straight away, his hunger to do well and score goals really impressed me, so that prompted us to sign him.
“He was in the same group as Troy Parrott (the Tottenham Hotspur striker currently out on loan at Millwall in the Championship) and they were both the standout players; Mipo was slightly the better player.”
While Odubeko was considered to be the best footballer amongst his peers, it was his attitude that left a lasting impression.
“In the under-12s national cup final, we won 2-0 and he scored both goals and was unbelievable,” says Byrne. “For the youth teams here, it’s basically like scoring two goals in an FA Cup final. It’s a big deal. Mipo was the difference. The funny thing is you tend to have a lot of pushy parents in the UK and that wasn’t the case with Mipo’s family. His mother is so humble and that has rubbed off on him, because he never got carried away with his achievements.
“He was so determined to take his chance. He was strong, aggressive, fast and absolutely hated losing. I always used to say to the kids, ‘You’re never going to do well if it doesn’t mean something to you’. It was obvious that football meant a lot to Mipo. He won player of the year a couple of times. He won the (league) footballer of the year award when he was 13. There were older players who were up for the award, so for Mipo to win it was a great achievement.”
Byrne still has that award, due to Odubeko’s family moving to Manchester shortly after. They planned on meeting up last year so Byrne could finally hand it over but were unable to do so because of the pandemic. There is one particular game he is keen to mention.
“We played a final against a team called Corinthians Boys, from Cork,” Byrne says. “It was very hostile and our players, especially Mipo, were taking a bit of stick from the spectators. Mipo scored both goals but for one of them, he ran the length of the pitch and put his finger on his lip, telling the fans of the other team to be quiet. It was brilliant.”
Moyes will be hoping to see that level of confidence if the teenager is given another first-team outing tomorrow against Doncaster. The Scot has a track record in placing faith in talented young players, with Jeremy Ngakia (who has since joined Watford), Emmanuel Longelo, Harrison Ashby and Aji Alese making their West Ham first-team debuts and Ben Johnson and Conor Coventry also blossoming since his second spell at the helm began just over a year ago.
Goalscoring is Odubeko’s main strength and it may not be long before he is given a bigger platform on which to prove it.
“I still keep in contact with Mipo,” says Byrne. “When his brother told me they were leaving Manchester United, I was surprised. But I knew Mipo was in good hands and not long after his brother sent me a picture of him posing with the West Ham shirt.
“Mipo’s going to be an exciting player to watch. He’s the reason why people will go to football games. He’s fast, dynamic, strong, he can score all sorts of goals and he’s good in the air. He’s a proper centre-forward.
“He’s a player that West Ham fans will be excited about.
“They have a special talent on their hands, so hopefully Moyes will give him a chance.”

[Diggs246]

It would give you some confidence that he wants to be like robbie and Dunne

[Olé Olé]

'It’s only a matter of time' - The latest Irish teenager on the verge of a Premier League breakthrough https://the42.ie/5331631

Byrne was also interviewed by the 42. "If he feels the FAI want him, I'm sure he'd swim across the Irish sea to play for Ireland."

[Eirambler]

We really need to get this lad straight into the under 21 squad if at all possible. With Connolly and Idah with the seniors now there's plenty of room to fit him in alongside Parrott (and Obafemi once he's back fit).

[ColourfulPeanut]

On the bench tonight for West Ham. Could make Premier League debut.

[tetsujin1979]

didn't come off the bench, West Ham won 3-2
Playing Liverpool at home on Sunday, it's doubtful he'll appear in that either

[tetsujin1979]

Some positive news about his involvement in the Ireland setup: https://www.the42.ie/jim-crawford-on-john-joe-patrick-finn-5338720-Jan2021/

One player a bit further along in his development is West Ham starlet Mipo Odubeko, the 18-year-old Tallaght-born striker who recently made his Hammers first-team debut in the FA Cup.

“I had him on standby at one stage for the U21s but he got injured over in West Ham,” Crawford said.

“I know all about Mipo. I had the luxury of watching a lot of his games at St Joseph’s Boys in Sallynoggin.

“I know all about the pathway he took, going to Manchester and now he’s back in London. They think very highly of him at West Ham.

“He came on in the FA Cup and was on the bench in the last game. They’ve got high hopes for him.

“I link in with [another West Ham and Ireland youngster] Conor Coventry quite a bit and there’s no harm getting a player’s perspective on a player. Conor sees him as a quality player too. He’s an exciting prospect coming through.

“I remember when he played for Joeys, the two big strikers in the country at that time were Mipo and Troy Parrott. They’ve certainly gone their separate ways, but there’s potential there with Mipo.”