Stephen Sunday
 Sunny before a game with CSKA Sofia in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Obayan Sunday | ||
| Date of birth | 17 September 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Real Salt Lake | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| FC Ebedei | |||
| 2003–2004 | Jegede Babes | ||
| 2004–2005 | Poli Ejido | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2005–2007 | Poli Ejido | 63 | (0) |
| 2007–2011 | Valencia | 10 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → Osasuna (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Betis (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Numancia (loan) | 14 | (2) |
| 2011–2013 | Numancia | 62 | (2) |
| 2013 | Bnei Sakhnin | 2 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | CSKA Sofia | 36 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Alanyaspor | 12 | (0) |
| 2016– | Real Salt Lake | 4 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007 | Spain U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2007 | Spain U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2009 | Spain U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2010 | Nigeria | 1 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 March 2016. | |||
Stephen Obayan Sunday (born 17 September 1988), nicknamed Sunny, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. Sunday made his debut for the Nigeria national team in 2010, after playing for Spain at youth level.
Club career
Early years
Born in Lagos, Sunny began his career in Nigeria with FC Ebedei and Jegede Babes. In 2003, he participated in two youth championships in Sweden and Spain: in the latter he appeared in Madrid's third edition of the Annual Immigrants World Cup, where he impressed so much he was given a five-year-contract with Polideportivo Ejido, in the second division.[1]
Valencia
Sunny became a regular player for the Andalusia side, making 63 league appearances between 2005 and 2007 and signing for Valencia CF in the summer, but after one season where he was scarcely used, he was loaned to fellow La Liga outfit CA Osasuna. In late January 2009 he was linked with a move to England's Portsmouth, but the deal eventually collapsed due to financial complications.[2]
On 30 June 2009, after a season which was marred by injury, Sunny was loaned to Real Betis in a season-long deal, with a view to a four-year permanent move. He also appeared rarely during the second level campaign as the Verdiblancos failed to return to the top division (seven matches out of 42).
In July 2010 Sunny had a trial in England with newly promoted Premier League side Blackpool, playing in a pre-season friendly against Crewe Alexandra on 27 July,[3] and then four days later, against Bristol City, but nothing came of it.
Numancia
Sunny spent the first months of the new campaign training on his own, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Valencia manager Unai Emery. On 19 January 2011 he was again loaned, moving to CD Numancia in the second level.[4]
In the following two years, still in the category and already as a permanent signing,[5] Sunny was first-choice for the Soria side.[6] On 11 May 2011 he scored his first goal as a senior, netting the 2–1 winner away against Albacete Balompié.[7]
Bnei Sakhnin / CSKA Sofia
On 30 July 2013, Sunny signed a two-year contract with Israeli club Bnei Sakhnin FC.[8] On 3 January of the following year he moved teams and countries again, joining Bulgaria's PFC CSKA Sofia after penning a two-and-a-half-year deal.[9]
Real Salt Lake
Sunny signed with Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer on 21 January 2016.[10] He scored his first goal with Real Salt Lake on 12 March 2016 against the Seattle Sounders.
International career
Sunday, who was born in Nigeria, was eligible to play for Spain under FIFA rules allowing players with dual nationality and without full international caps to switch allegiance before the age of 21. After first appearing for the under-19 side, he was called up by his adopted nation to the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada,[11] playing in four games as Spain exited in the quarterfinals.
In September 2010, Sunny was called up for Nigeria's 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Guinea,[12] and made his debut in the game as a starter as the Super Eagles lost it 0–1.
References
- ↑ Oluwashina Okeleji (20 March 2007). "Stephen's Latin love". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ↑ "Sunny no-go for Pompey". Sky Sports. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ↑ "Valencia star joins Blackpool for trial". Blackpool Gazette. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ↑ "El Numancia se refuerza con los cedidos Ion Vélez y Sunny" [Numancia bolsters with loaned Ion Vélez and Sunny] (in Spanish). Marca. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ↑ "Mercado: Sunny se desvincula del Valencia y el Numancia le ficha como agente libre" [Market: Sunny cuts ties with Valencia and Numancia signs him as a free agent] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ↑ "Sunny, titular para la 'vendetta' de Alcorcón" [Sunny, starter for Alcorcón 'vendetta'] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ↑ "1–2. El Albacete desciende tras caer ante el Numancia" [1–2. Albacete relegated after falling to Numancia] (in Spanish). ABC. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ↑ Presenting: the 2013/14 Israeli Premier League; Maccabi's official website, 19 August 2013
- ↑ "Съни вече е футболист на ЦСКА, подписа за 2,5 години" (in Bulgarian). Gong.bg. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ↑ http://www.rsl.com/post/2016/01/21/real-salt-lake-signs-nigerian-mf-sunday-stephen-obayan
- ↑ "Empieza la sucesión de Messi" [Messi's succession begins] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 30 June 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ↑ Taye Taiwo gets Nigeria recall, Danny Shittu dropped; Kickoff, 29 September 2010
External links
- Stephen Sunday profile at BDFutbol
- Stephen Sunday at National-Football-Teams.com
- Stephen Sunday – FIFA competition record
- Stephen Sunday profile at Soccerway
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