Daryl Enyinnaya Dike (born June 3, 2000) is an American professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player who plays as a striker for club

West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...

and the

United States national team The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

. Dike played

college soccer College soccer, called college football in some countries, is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. While it is most widespread in the United States, it is also prominent in Japan, South Kore ...

for the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

and was selected in the first round (5th overall) of the

2020 MLS SuperDraft The 2020 MLS SuperDraft was the 21st edition of the SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. The 2020 SuperDraft was the first SuperDraft held exclusively via conference call and web streaming. The first two rounds of the 2020 SuperDraft we ...

by Orlando having already signed a

Generation Adidas Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S ...

contract.

Early years

Born in

Edmond, Oklahoma Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States. It is a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, located in Central Oklahoma. Its population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States census, a 16% increase from 2010. maki ...

, Dike played soccer at

Edmond North High School Edmond North High School is located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school colors are silver, white and navy. The school's mascot is the Siberian Husky. As of the 2012–2013 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,437 students and 127 classro ...

, captaining the side from his sophomore season onward. A three-time Oklahoma Offensive Player of the Year, he scored an Oklahoma 6A state record 70 goals and helped his team win a state championship. In 2018 he was named

Gatorade Player of the Year The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys baseball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls cross country, boys football, boys and girl ...

for Oklahoma. Dike played for

OKC Energy U23 Oklahoma City Energy Football Club, or simply Energy FC, is an American professional soccer club based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The club is a member of the USL Championship, the second division of the American soccer league system. Although ...

in the PDL during the 2018 season between high school and college soccer, making four appearances and scoring three goals.

Virginia Cavaliers

Ahead of the

2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer season The 2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer season was the 60th season of National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA championship men's College soccer in the United States, college soccer. The regular season began on August 24, 2018, and continue ...

, Dike signed a

national letter of intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...

to play

for the

Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level ( FBS for football), in the Atlantic Coast C ...

. Originally a reserve, Dike became a regular starter for the Cavaliers a month into the season. He made his college soccer debut on September 18, 2018, playing 34 minutes in a 2–0 victory against

FIU Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest uni ...

. On September 21, 2018, Dike made his first start, playing 57 minutes in a 2–0 win at

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

. Dike scored his first collegiate goal on October 2, 2018, in a 2–1 victory against Wright State. He scored four more goals during the season before an injury sidelined him during the 2018 ACC Men's Soccer Tournament. Dike returned on November 18, 2018, for the NCAA tournament, where he recorded his first collegiate assist in a 2–0 victory against Furman. Dike finished the 2018 season with 13 appearances, five goals, and an assist. Dike was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Dike started all 23 matches for Virginia during his sophomore year. On August 30, 2019, in the opening game of the

2019 season Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' Dici ...

, Dike registered two assists in a 2–0 win against

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

. Dike led the Cavaliers with goals and assists during the 2019 season, netting 10 goals and providing eight assists. He scored both of Virginia's two goals on December 13, 2019, in the College Cup semifinals against Wake Forest. On December 15, 2019, Dike scored the tying goal in the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship Game against Georgetown to send the game to overtime, where Virginia ultimately lost in penalty kicks. Dike was named the

NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament Most Outstanding Player At the conclusion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament, Division I Men's Soccer Tournament (the "College Cup" tournaments), United Soccer Coaches selects two Most Outstanding Players: one for ...

following the match, giving Dike his first national collegiate award. Additionally, Dike was named to the All-ACC Second Team.

Professional career

Orlando City

Rookie season

On January 9, 2020, Dike was selected in the first round (5th overall) of the

by Orlando City having already signed a

contract. On July 25, 2020, he made his professional debut as an 75th-minute substitute for

Tesho Akindele Tesho Akindele (born March 31, 1992) is a Canadian and American former professional association football, soccer player. He spent most of his career with FC Dallas and Orlando City SC in Major League Soccer (MLS). Club career Early career Tes ...

in a 1–0 victory over Montreal Impact during the

MLS is Back Tournament The MLS is Back Tournament took place during the 2020 Major League Soccer season to mark the league's return to action after being suspended as a result of the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 26 Major League ...

round of 16. On August 22, Dike made his first start for the team in his first regular season MLS match and subsequently scored his first professional goal in a 3–2 defeat to

Inter Miami Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami (), commonly referred to as Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. ...

. Four days later he scored his first career brace in a 3–1 win over

Nashville SC Nashville Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Nashville, Tennessee. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team spent two seasons in the USL Championship before joining ...

. With three goals and two assists in five matches, Dike was named MLS Player of the Month for August 2020. In October, Dike was announced as #10 in the annual MLS 22 Under 22 list, the first Orlando player since

Cyle Larin Cyle Christopher Larin (; born April 17, 1995) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a striker or a left winger for La Liga club Mallorca and the Canada national team. After playing college soccer for the UConn Huskies, Larin ...

in 2017 to be included. With MLS electing to change the annual Rookie of the Year award to

Young Player of the Year Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

in 2020, Dike was the highest-ranked rookie but came third in the voting behind five-year pro Diego Rossi and second-year pro

Brenden Aaronson Brenden Russell Aaronson (born October 22, 2000) is an American professional association football, soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger (association football), winger for club Leeds United F.C., Leeds United and the Unit ...

Loan to Barnsley

On February 1, 2021, Dike joined

EFL Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, it is the highest divi ...

club

Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...

on loan until the end of the 2020–21 season with a reported $20 million option to buy and 20% sell-on fee clause. He was only able to meet the criteria for a UK work permit because he had made his senior international debut the day before. He made his Barnsley debut on February 11, as a 59th-minute substitute for

Victor Adeboyejo Ayomide Victor Adeboyejo (born 12 January 1998) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for side Bolton Wanderers. He signed from EFL League One side Burton Albion in January 2023. Club career Leyton Orient After spells w ...

in a 1–0 FA Cup fifth round defeat to

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

side Chelsea. He made his league debut three days later, starting and playing 56 minutes of a 2–0 win over

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

. He scored his first goal for the club on February 24 in a 2–0 league win over

Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the cl ...

. With four goals in six appearances, Dike was named Barnsley's player of the month for March. He also won the club's goal of the month award for a thunderous strike in a 1–0 win over

Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...

on March 6. The strike was later voted as the club's goal of the season. On April 21, Dike scored a

bicycle kick In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick or scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before ...

in a 1–0 win over

Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football. Huddersfield Town we ...

. The result moved Barnsley six points clear of

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

in the race for the final promotion play-off place with three games to go. On April 28, Dike was named the club's player of the month for the second consecutive time having scored four goals in six games including two game-winners. Having confirmed their playoff status, Barnsley came to an agreement with Orlando City on April 29 to prevent Dike from being recalled during the postseason. He started the semifinal first leg at home as Barnsley lost 1–0 before appearing as a halftime substitute during a 1–1 draw in the second leg. Dike's loan expired on May 31 with Orlando City announcing in a statement the following day that Barnsley had elected not to trigger the release clause.

2021 season

Having missed the first part of the season while finishing his Barnsley loan before joining up with the United States national team, Dike eventually made his 2021 season debut for Orlando as a second-half substitute on June 19 in a 3–2 win over

Toronto FC Toronto Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matc ...

. He started the following game, scoring twice in a 5–0 victory against

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional association football, soccer club based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Origin ...

. He made a further two appearances before again leaving on international duty at the

2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 16th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the biennial international men's association football, soccer championship of the North, Central American, and Caribbean regions organized by CONCACAF. The tournament was ...

. He missed five games due to the tournament and returned with a shoulder injury and tendinitis, forcing him to miss a further five games including Orlando's continental debut in the

2021 Leagues Cup The 2021 Leagues Cup was the second edition of the Leagues Cup organized by Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX. The tournament was originally planned to include sixteen teams but was later reduced to eight teams. The 2020 edition of the tou ...

. With the team struggling to stay above the playoff line from early August, Dike started slow on his return to the side - scoring and assisting once (both in a 3–2 victory over

Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team began play in 1996 as one of the 10 cha ...

on September 4) in five games, of which the goal saw him awarded Goal of the Week. He eventually found form, scoring in three consecutive games for the second time in his pro career. The streak notably included a penalty as Dike took duties away from veteran Portugal international Nani who had failed to convert the previous game, Orlando's third miss on five attempts in 2021. In October, it was announced that Dike was ranked #2 behind only

Ricardo Pepi Ricardo Daniel Pepi (born January 9, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for club PSV and the United States national team. Pepi had his breakthrough with Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and was named t ...

on the annual MLS 22 Under 22, up from #10 on the previous year's list.

West Bromwich Albion

On January 1, 2022, Dike signed for

of the English

on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee. On January 16, Dike made his debut for West Bromwich Albion, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to

Queen's Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English fo ...

. During his first start against

Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Peterborough United formed in ...

, Dike sustained a hamstring injury which ruled him out for the remainder of the season. He scored his first goal for the club on December 12, 2022, in a 2–1 win against

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

. During a league game against

on April 15, 2023, Dike suffered an Achilles tendon injury in his right leg which ruled him out for nine months. On February 10, 2024, just over a month after his return, Dike suffered a left leg injury and was carted off during a 2–2 draw against

Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The club currently competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Ipswich Town were founded in 1878 but did not turn ...

. Manager Carlos Corberan stated after the match that the injury was "similar" to the one Dike suffered in 2023. On February 12, it was confirmed that Dike has ruptured his left Achilles tendon, and would miss the remainder of 2024.

International career

In November 2020, Dike was called up to the

for the first time for a friendly against

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

but did not appear after picking up an injury in training. He made his debut for the United States on January 31, 2021, as a 65th-minute substitute for

Paul Arriola Paul Joseph Arriola (born February 5, 1995) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC. Early life Arriola was born in Chula Vista, California, a suburb of San Diego, to Da ...

in a 7–0 friendly win over

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

. In May 2021, Dike was called into training camp for the

2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals The 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals was the final tournament of the 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League, 2019–20 edition of the CONCACAF Nations League, the inaugural season of the international Association football, football competition invo ...

but did not make the final squad. He scored his first international goal on June 9, 2021, in a 4–0 friendly win over

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

Rio Tinto Stadium America First Field (formerly Rio Tinto Stadium and referred to as The RioT) is a soccer-specific stadium in Sandy, Utah, United States. It is the home of Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Utah Royals of the National Women' ...

. In July 2021, Dike was named to the final 23-player roster for the

. On July 15, Dike scored his first competitive goals when he scored a

brace Brace (formerly known as ''Brace For War'') was an Australian mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. Brace was founded in 2005 by Kya Pate. In an interview with MMA Kanvas Kya Pate detailed what it is like to be the promoter of Australian MMA. Si ...

during a 6–1 group stage win over

Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...

Personal life

The youngest of five siblings, Dike's eldest brother,

Bright Dike Chinedu "Bright" Dike (born 2 February 1987) is a retired footballer who played as a forward. Born in the United States, he played for the Nigeria national team. Career College and amateur Born in Edmond, Oklahoma, Dike attended Edmond Nort ...

, was also a first round MLS Superdraft pick in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

and has played for the Nigerian national team. His sister, Courtney, was capped by

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

and made two appearances at the

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was the seventh FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international soccer championship contested by the women's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Canada for the f ...

. He is the cousin of

international striker

Emmanuel Emenike Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike (born 10 May 1987) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career Delta Force Emenike started his football career with Delta Force. At the club, he experienced many hardships. He ...

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Scores and results list United States's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dike goal.''

Honors

Virginia Cavaliers * ACC regular season:

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

* ACC Men's Soccer Tournament:

* NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament runner-up:

United States *

CONCACAF Gold Cup The CONCACAF Gold Cup () is an association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for men's senior national teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The tournament is held every two ...

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

Individual *

: 2019 * MLS Player of the Month: August 2020 *

Fans Player of the Month: April 2021

References

External links

* *
Daryl Dike
at

USL League Two USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...

Daryl Dike
at

Athletics {{DEFAULTSORT:Dike, Daryl 2000 births Living people People from Edmond, Oklahoma Sportspeople from Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Soccer players from Oklahoma African-American soccer players American sportspeople of Nigerian descent American men's soccer players Men's association football forwards Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer players Orlando City SC draft picks Orlando City SC players Barnsley F.C. players West Bromwich Albion F.C. players 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup players USL League Two players Major League Soccer players English Football League players United States men's international soccer players Expatriate men's footballers in England American expatriate sportspeople in England CONCACAF Gold Cup–winning players 21st-century American sportsmen