Ezekiel Isoken Henty (born 13 May 1993) is a Nigerian

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a striker for Israeli club Maccabi Bnei Reineh.

Club career

AC Milan

Born in

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

, Nigeria, Henty began his career at Flying Sports before joining

AC Milan (), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...

on 15 September 2012, alongside Favour Aniekan and was assigned to Milan Primavera. After being assigned to Milan Primavera, Henty went on to score 10 times in 22 appearances in all competitions, including scoring two braces against Cittadella Primavera and Udinese Primavera. While at Milan Primavera, Henty began taking responsibility since moving to Europe and have since grown up. Ahead of the 2013–14 season, Henty was told by AC Milan management that he would need to be loaned out to gain first team experience. The following month, in July, it was announced that Henty was loaned out to

Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...

side

Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguri ...

for the remainder of the 2013–14 season. After starting out on the substitute bench, Henty then scored his first Spezia goal on 24 September 2013, in a 2–1 win over

Ternana Ternana Calcio, commonly referred to as Ternana, is an Italian football club based in Terni, Umbria and currently compete in the Serie C. The club was founded in 1925 and refounded in 1993. In its history, Ternana has twice played in Serie A ...

. However, he struggled in the first team at Spezia and returned to his parent club, with just six appearances and scoring once. Shortly after the end of his loan spell at Spezia, Henty joined Lega Pro side

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

on loan for the rest of the season on 9 January 2014. Henty made his Perugia debut on 12 January 2014, coming on as a late substitute, in a 5–0 win over AS Gubbio. It wasn't until on 24 January 2014 when he scored again, in a 3–2 win over

Grosseto Grosseto () is a city and a ''comune'' in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the province of Grosseto and the main city of the Maremma region. The city lies from the Tyrrhenian Sea, at the centre of an alluvial plain on the ...

. Although his playing time was reduced towards the end of the season, Henty played a role in the play-offs against

Virtus Entella Virtus Entella, commonly referred to as Entella, is an Italian professional Association football, football club based in Chiavari, Liguria. Founded in 1914, the club currently competes in the . Entella will play in Serie B 2025/26 after winning ...

when he scored in a 3–1 win to help the club gain promotion to

. At his time at Perugia, Henty went on to score 2 times in twelve appearances. In the summer of 2014, Henty was linked around Europe with a move to

Sivasspor Sivasspor Kulübü, known as Net Global Sivasspor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish sports club based in Sivas. The primary department of the club is men's football. Formed in 1967, its football department has competed in Süper Lig since t ...

and Vitória. Instead, Henty opted to join Slovenian side Gorica on loan on 29 August 2014. Two days later, on 31 August 2014, he made his Gorica debut, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 2–1 loss against Rudar Velenje. It wasn't until on 29 September 2014 when he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–1 win over Krka. He then scored again on 19 October 2014, in a 3–0 win over

Radomlje Radomlje (; ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 28.) is a settlement on the left bank of the Kamnik Bistrica River north of Domžale in t ...

. However, he found himself on the sidelines when he suffered an injury in late October. Despite this, Henty went on to score two times in thirteen appearances for the side.

Olimpija Ljubljana

It was announced on 31 January 2015 that Henty joined Olimpija Ljubljana on loan for the rest of the season. It came after when he went on a trial at the club and his loan spell at Gorica ended. It was previously hinted that Henty was on a move to Turkey before joining Olimpija Ljubija. He made his Olimpija Ljubljana debut on 28 February 2015, in a 4–0 win over Radomlje. It wasn't until on 14 March 2015 when he scored his first goal for the club, in a 3–1 win over Gorica. Henty scored again on 4 April 2015, in a 3–1 win over

Zavrč Zavrč (, in older sources ''Zavrče'', ) is a settlement in the Haloze area of Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Zavrč. It lies between the right bank of the Drava River and the border with Croatia. The area traditionally belonge ...

. After adding two more goals, he went on to finish the season, making 14 appearances and scoring 4 times. In the summer transfer of 2015, Henty joined Olimpija Ljubljana on a permanent for a transfer fee of €150,000, signing a two-year contract. He then scored his first goals since joining the club, in a 4–1 win over

Koper Koper (; ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, fifth-largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Slovenian Istria, Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, Koper is the main urban center of the Slovene coast. Port of Koper i ...

on 12 August 2015, followed up by scoring another brace in a 3–0 win over

Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...

four days later. In a 5–0 win over

Krško Krško (; ) is a town in eastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the City Municipality of Krško. The town lies on the Sava River and on the northwest edge of the Krško Plain (), which is part of the larger Krka Flat (). The area is divided between t ...

on 4 October 2015, Henty set up two goals, which was then followed up by scoring a brace, in a 2–1 win over Koper. After missing out for one match, he scored again on 2 December 2015, in a 2–1 win over Zavrč. After making 22 appearances and scoring 9 times for the side, Henty was linked a move away from Olimpija Ljubljana in the January transfer window. As a result, the club began a contract negotiations with Henty, which they claimed the agreement is made in December 2015. Henty, himself, wanted to stay at the club to help the club win the league. However, the club accepted a bid from two Russian teams for €5.5 million, which is believed to be a record-breaking transfer for the club. After the move, Henty reflected on his departure, stating he stand by his decision.

Lokomotiv Moscow

It was confirmed on 19 February 2016 that Henty joined

Lokomotiv Moscow FC Lokomotiv Moscow (, ) is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv have won the Russian Premier League on three occasions; the Soviet Cup twice; and the Russian Cup (football), Russian Cup a record ...

for €5.5 million, confirming a record-breaking transfer. Upon joining the club, Henty was given number 45 shirt instead of 10 shirt, which he initially opted for. Henty made his Lokomotiv Moscow debut on 6 March 2016, where he came on as a second-half substitute, in a 2–1 loss against

Terek Grozny Republican Football Club Akhmat (; ), commonly known as Akhmat Grozny, and formerly as Terek Grozny from 1958 to 2017, is a Russian professional football club based in Grozny that plays in the Russian Premier League. History The club was foun ...

. After making his debut for the club, Henty said his target was to score 7–8 goals in ten matches. However, his time at Lokomotiv Moscow throughout the rest of the season was a disappointment, due to his failure to score goals as he did at Olimpija Ljubljana earlier this season despite being given more time to adapt at Russia. Despite making 10 appearances at the end of the 2015–16 season, Henty managed to redeem himself when he set up a goal for

Petar Škuletić Petar Škuletić ( sr-Cyrl, Петар Шкулетић; born 29 June 1990) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career Early years At the age of 14, Škuletić joined the youth system of Partizan. He was ...

, in a 3–0 win over

Mordovia Saransk FC Mordovia Saransk () was a Russian association football club from Saransk, Republic of Mordovia. In its current state it was formed in 2005, through the merge of Biokhimik-Mordovia and Lisma-Mordovia. History The club was founded in 1961. In ...

in the last game of the season. In the 2016–17 season, Henty continued to feature in the first team despite being on the substitute bench at the start of the season. He then scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–1 win over

Krasnodar Krasnodar, formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern Russia, with a population of 1,154,885 residents, and up to 1.263 millio ...

on 28 August 2016. However, Henty continued to struggled in the first team and scoring goals, due to competitions from

Aleksei Miranchuk Aleksei Andreyevich Miranchuk ( rus, Алексей Андреевич Миранчук, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐnˈdrʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪrɐnˈtɕuk; born 17 October 1995) is a Russian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder ...

and

Maicon Marques Maicon Marques Bitencourt (born 18 February 1990), simply known as Maicon, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger. Club career Fluminense Born in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Maicon joined Fluminense's youth setup i ...

. As a result, he was expected to leave the club in January over poor performance and his first team opportunities had become difficult for him to come by.

Baniyas SC (loan)

It was announced on 16 January 2017 that Henty would be loaned out to

UAE Arabian Gulf League The UAE Pro League (), also known as the ADNOC Pro League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the highest level of the Emirati football league system. The first team to w ...

side

Baniyas Baniyas ( ') is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal city in Tartous Governorate, western Syria, located south of Latakia and north of Tartous. It is known for its citrus fruit orchards and its export of wood. North of the city is an B ...

for the rest of the season. The move also included an option to sign Henty on a permanent basis. Henty made his Baniyas SC debut five days later on 21 January 2017 after signing for the club, starting the whole game, in a 4–3 loss against

Dibba Al-Fujairah Dibba Al-Fujairah () is a city in the emirate of Fujairah, located on the northeast part of the United Arab Emirates. It is geographically part of the Dibba region. Dibba Al-Fujairah is considered to be the second largest city in the emirate of ...

. It wasn't until on 3 March 2017 when he scored his first goal for the club, as well as, setting another goal, in a 4–3 loss against

Al-Wasl Al Wasl Sports Club () is a multi-sports club in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. It is best known for its football team. Current Board of Directors See also * Al Wasl FC Al Wasl Football Club () is an Emirati professional football ...

. Six days later, on 9 March 2017, Henty scored twice, in a 6–2 loss against Al Wahda. After adding two more goals, the club was unsuccessful to survive in the

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...

. At the end of the 2016–17 season, making 12 appearances and scoring five times for the side, Henty returned to his parent club.

Videoton

It was reported on 19 July 2017 that Henty moved to Hungarian side Videoton, signing a three-year contract. The fee was reported to be €1 million. Henty made his Videoton debut on 30 July 2017, starting the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against

Újpest Újpest (; , ) is the 4th District in Budapest, Hungary. It is located on the left bank of the Danube River. The name Újpest means "New Pest" because the city was formed on the border of the city of Pest, Hungary in 1838. Újpest was a village ...

. He then scored his first goal for the club in a follow-up match on 6 August 2017, in a 2–0 win over Mezőkövesdi. Since joining the club, Henty quickly became the club's fan favourite, where he gave a shirt to a fan after the match. Between 21 October 2017 and 4 November 2017, he scored three goals in three matches against Puskás Akadémia, Újpest (in which he scored just 25 seconds into the match) and Mezőkövesdi. After the match against Újpest, Henty was subjected of racism from Újpest supporters following the end of the match. As a result, Újpest was fined for their role of racially abuse Henty.

Slovan Bratislava

On 24 January 2020, it was announced that Henty had reached an agreement on a permanent transfer with reigning Slovak

champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...

, Slovan Bratislava. His transfer was understood as a replacement for departing

Andraž Šporar Andraž Šporar (born 27 February 1994) is a Slovenian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Süper Lig club Alanyaspor and the Slovenia national football team, Slovenia national ...

, who had left for

Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,

earlier. On 11 August 2022, Henty joined

Apollon Limassol Apollon Limassol FC (, ''Apollon Lemesou'') is a Cypriot sports club, based in Limassol. It has football, basketball and volleyball teams. Founded in 1954, Apollon FC currently plays in the Cypriot First Division and has won the championship tit ...

in Cyprus on a season-long loan with an option to buy. After the end of his loan spell at Apollon Limassol, he returned to Slovan Bratislava.

Apollon Limassol

Henty joined

on a season-long loan on 11 August 2022. After 24 league appearances and 2 goals with the team, he returned to Slovan Bratislava at the end of the

2022–23 Cypriot First Division The 2022–23 Cypriot First Division was the 84th season of the Cypriot top-level football league. Competition system 14 teams participated in the 2022–23 First Division. It was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, all teams played e ...

AEL Limassol

On 25 August 2023, Henty signed for

AEL Limassol Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou () is a Cyprus, Cypriot sports club based in the city of Limassol, most famous for its football team. AEL Limassol also maintains a AEL Limassol B.C., men's and AEL Limassol B.C. (women), women's basketball teams, a wom ...

on a free transfer after terminating his contract with Slovan Bratislava. Rumors have been going around for the whole August and the player was seen training with the team before the official announcement of the transfer was made. He missed the first game of the

2023–24 Cypriot First Division The 2023–24 Cypriot First Division was the 85th season of the Cypriot top-level football league. Aris Limassol were the defending champions, having won their first title in the 2022–23 season. The winners ( APOEL, their twenty-ninth title ...

but

managed to win away against Doxa Katokopias with 1-0. On 27 August 2023, he scored his first goal on his first appearance with the team in a win over AEZ Zakakiou with a score of 4-3 after coming from behind (AEZ was up 2-0 at the early stages of the game). On 2 September 2023 he scored his second goal for the team from the penalty spot, on his second game, in an awat defeat with 3-1 against Pafos FC in Paphos.

Club statistics

Personal life

Growing up, Henty said he idolised

George Weah George Manneh Oppong Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional Association football, footballer who served as the 25th president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before his election for the presidency, Weah served ...

. Henty revealed that he wasn't interested in football at first, preferring to focus on his education. This all changed when his mother, who is a football fan, convinced him to play football, having bought him footwear and equipment, which changed his passion. Henty speaks English, Italian, and some Russian. He has also revealed that he would accept a Slovenian citizenship if he was offered.

Honours

;Slovan Bratislava * Fortuna Liga (2): 2019–20,

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

Slovnaft Cup The Slovak Cup (), currently named Slovnaft Cup due to sponsorship agreement with Slovnaft, is the only nationwide knockout competition in Slovak football. The winner qualifies for the UEFA Europa League qualification rounds. History The compet ...

(2): 2019–20,

References

External links