Alex Iwobi

Alex Iwobi

Iwobi playing for Arsenal in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Alex Iwobi[1]
Date of birth	3 May 1996
Place of birth	Lagos, Nigeria
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Playing position	Winger, striker
Club information
Current team	Arsenal
Number	45
Youth career
2004–2013	Arsenal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2013–	Arsenal	12	(2)
National team^‡
2011–2012	England U16	7	(1)
2013	England U17	3	(0)
2013	England U18	1	(0)
2015–	Nigeria	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:43, 1 May 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11:43, 25 March 2016 (UTC)

Alex Iwobi (born 3 May 1996) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a winger and a striker for Premier League club Arsenal.

Early and personal life

Iwobi was born in Lagos before moving to England at the age of four.^[3][4] He is the nephew of ex-professional footballer Jay-Jay Okocha.^[4]

Club career

Iwobi joined Arsenal while still at primary school,^[5] and was first involved in a first-team match as an unused substitute in a League Cup match against West Bromwich Albion on 25 September 2013.^[6] He signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal in October 2015.^[5]

2015–16 season

On 27 October 2015, Iwobi made his first-team debut for the club, starting in a 3–0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the Round of 16 of the League Cup.^[7][8] He made his Premier League debut four days later in a 3–0 win against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, as a stoppage time substitute for Mesut Özil.^[9] Iwobi made his Champions League debut as an 85th minute substitute in a 5–1 defeat against Bayern Munich.^[10] Iwobi started in the first team for the 2015–16 FA Cup 3rd and 4th round home wins against Sunderland and Burnley respectively.^[11][12]

After getting a first Champions League start in a 3–1 away defeat to Barcelona,^[13] Iwobi went on to score two goals in his first two Premier League starts in wins against Everton,^[14] and Watford, respectively.^[15]

International career

After playing youth football for England,^[16] Iwobi elected to play for Nigeria and made his senior debut on 8 October 2015, replacing Ahmed Musa in the 57th minute of a 2–0 friendly defeat to DR Congo in Visé, Belgium.^[17]

Career statistics

Iwobi (right) playing for Arsenal U21s in 2015

Club

As of match played 30 April 2016.

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Arsenal	2013–14[18]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2014–15[19]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2015–16[20]	Premier League	12	2	5	0	1	0	2[lower-alpha 1]	0	0	0	20	2
Career total			12	2	5	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	20	2

1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 25 March 2016.^[21]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Nigeria	2015	2	0
	2016	1	0
Total		3	0

References

1. "Clubs announce 2015/16 Barclays Premier League squads". Premier League. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
2. "Profile". Premier League. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
3. Taylor, Daniel (26 March 2016). "How Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi became England’s loss and Nigeria’s gain". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
4. "Profile". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
5. "Alex Iwobi signs new contract". Arsenal F.C. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
6. "Results/matches: 2013/14". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
7. "Arsene Wenger 'used too many senior players' in League Cup exit". BBC Sport. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
8. Luke Reddy (27 October 2015). "Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
9. Dafydd Pritchard (31 October 2015). "Swansea City 0-3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
10. "Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal". BBC. 4 November 2015.
11. Critchley, Mark (9 January 2016). "Arsenal vs Sunderland team news: Alex Iwobi handed first-team chance, Petr Cech starts in goal". The Independent. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
12. Hytner, David (31 January 2016). "Arsène Wenger makes England quip over Arsenal’s in-form Alex Iwobi". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
13. "Champions League: Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal (agg 5-1)". BBC. 16 March 2016.
14. "Everton 0-2 Arsenal". BBC. 19 March 2016.
15. "Arsenal 4-0 Watford". BBC. 2 April 2016.
16. "Profile". The Football Association. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
17. Oluwashina Okeleji (10 October 2015). "Arsenal's Alex Iwobi encouraged by Nigeria opportunity". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
18. "Games played by Alex Iwobi in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
19. "Games played by Alex Iwobi in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
20. "Games played by Alex Iwobi in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
21. "Iwobi, Alez". National Football Teams. Retrieved 25 March 2016.

External links

• Alex Iwobi career statistics at Soccerbase