Chinedum Onuoha (born 12 November 1986) is an English former professional
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 ...
and television pundit for
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
. He also works for
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
as a community ambassador.
As a player he was a
centre back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categ ...
, but could also play at
right back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categ ...
or
left back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categ ...
. Onuoha came through the academy at
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
going on to make 95 appearances in the
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 ...
over an 8 year-spell with the club. He also spent time playing in the top flight for
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 ...
and
Queens 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 f ...
. He was part of the QPR team that were
defeated 3-2 by his former club Manchester City on the final day of the 2011–12 season, with City winning the title in the final seconds of the game. He later won promotion back to the Premier League with QPR via the 2013-14 play-offs. He later spent several seasons in
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
for
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Fou ...
. He was capped at
England U20
England national under-20 football team, also known as England Under-20s or England U20(s) or England Men's Elite Squad, represents England in association football at an under-20 age level and is controlled by the Football Association, the gov ...
and
England U21
The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team ...
levels.
Personal life
Born in
Warri
The city of Warri is an oil hub within South-South Nigeria and houses an annex of the Delta State Government House. Warri City is one of the major hubs of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. Warri, Udu, Okpe and Uvwie are the commercial ...
,
Delta State
Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State, on 27 August 1 ...
, Nigeria,
Onuoha was brought up in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, England. He went to Nelson Street Primary School Miles Platting before becoming a pupil at the
Hulme Grammar School
Hulme Grammar School is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private grammar school in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
History
Oldham Hulme Grammar School was founded in 1611 by several charitable individuals including Laurence Chad ...
, Oldham, where he achieved eight grade 'A's' and two 'B's' at GCSE. He then completed his studies at
Xaverian College
Xaverian College is a Roman Catholic college located in Rusholme, Manchester, England, approximately south of the city centre. Established in 1862, it is recognised as being one of the most oversubscribed sixth form colleges in Greater Manches ...
Manchester where he achieved three 'A' grades at A-level in Maths, Business Studies and IT.
Onuoha revealed "he had a strict Nigerian upbringing and that school came first and if he did not study properly and successfully, he was forbidden by his mother and father from playing football or athletics".
An outstanding junior sprinter, aged 14 he finished in second place in the final of the 2001 English School's Athletics Association Junior 100 metres contest, clocking 11.09 seconds and beating former Great Britain sprinter
Craig Pickering
Dr Craig Keith Pickering (born 16 October 1986, in Crawley, West Sussex) is an English retired sprinter and bobsleigher. As a sprinter, he was based at the Marshall Milton Keynes Athletics Club; however, he also ran for the University ...
. However, Onuoha said about the record: "it was all just based on the fact I was doing summer training," He is also currently the co-national record holder for boys under 15 standing triple jump, in the Sports Hall events held annually throughout the UK. The record is held jointly with international long jumper
Jonathan Moore.
He is known to have supported Manchester City as a boy and he attended the
Division Two play-off final against
Gillingham at
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
in 1999.
Onuoha's mother, Dr Anthonia Onuoha, who was his agent, developed cancer and made national headlines in September 2011 when an email exchange led to the club's CEO
Garry Cook
Garry Peter Cook (born 10 January 1958) is a former British track and field athlete, who competed mainly in the 800 metres with a best time of 1:44.55 minutes. He competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Biography
Cook represented England in t ...
resigning from his role. The following November, Dr Anthonia Onuoha eventually succumbed to cancer.
After his mother's death, he paid tribute to her, saying: "My mum always wanted me to do the best I could and out of respect for her I will carry on trying to do that. The rest of my career is dedicated to her memory. I want to carry on making her proud. She was a very special woman, and even when she was ill she never wanted me to stop playing."
Outside of football, Onuoha studied part-time to earn an accountancy degree at Manchester Metropolitan University. However, he said: "I studied accountancy, but that turned out to be one of the most boring years in my life." In April 2014, Onuoha became a father for the first time when his wife, Lucy Onuoha, gave birth to a daughter, Amaia.
In October 2021, Onuhoa returned to Manchester City to work for the City in the Community organisation.
In November 2021, it was announced that Onuoha would release an autobiography titled ''Kicking Back'', which was co-written with
Hugh Ferris. It was published in May 2022 by Biteback Publishing.
Club career
Manchester City

Having started at the
Independent Schools Football Association
Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) oversees football in independent schools in the United Kingdom. The ISFA is affiliated to the Football Association.
The chairman is current Headmaster of Hampton School Kevin Knibbs.
History
Dick ...
, Onuoha progressed through the age groups in Manchester City's youth academy since joining in 1996 at age ten and played regularly for club's reserves in the 2003–04 season. He had his first involvement with the Manchester City first team in the 2004–05 pre-season, playing in a friendly against
Bury.
Onuoha made his first team debut against
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in the
League Cup on 27 October 2004, at the age of 17. He made his
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 ...
debut as a substitute on 1 November 2004 at home to
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
. Though Onuoha's natural position is centre-half, manager
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regard ...
initially played him at right back with the intention of improving his passing ability.
He then made his first Premier League start, playing the whole game, in a 3–1 win over
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
on 20 November 2004. After the match, Manager Keegan praised his performance. After spending two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, which he sustained in mid–January, Onuoha made his first appearances in two months, starting the match and gave away a goal before being substituted, in a 2–1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur on 19 March 2005. Despite this, he was involved in the club's remaining matches, playing in the right–back position, and kept three clean sheets between 20 April 2005 and 30 April 2005.
For his performance, Onuoha signed a three–year contract with the club. At the end of the 2004–05 season, making eighteen appearances in all competitions in his debut season, he was awarded the club's young player of the year.
However, Onuoha missed the start of the 2005–06 season, due to a hamstring injury.
His first appearance of the season came on 23 August 2005, coming on as a late substitute, in a 2–1 win over Sunderland. After being dropped from the first team in early–September, Onuoha returned against
Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
in a League Cup match, where he was red carded for the first time in his career, after a collision with Rovers goalkeeper
Andy Warrington. The red card was later rescinded however Manchester City went on to lose the game on penalties. Since returning to the first team, Onuoha continued to fight for his first team place, competing in the defensive starting line–up for the side. However, he soon suffered a groin injury that saw him sidelined for two months. While on the sidelines, Onuoha was awarded BBC North West Sports Personality of the Year Award for newcomer honour. It wasn't until on 12 December 2005 when he returned from injury, starting the whole game, in a 4–1 win over Birmingham City. Onuoha was featured in the next six matches since returning from injury. Amid to the first team, he was linked with a move to
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
but was happy to stay at the club. However, Onuoha damaged his knee ligament that kept him out for the rest of the
2005–06 season. He went on to make twelve appearances in the 2005–06 season.
At the start of the
2006–07 season, Onuoha continued to be sidelined, recovering from his knee ligament injury. It wasn't until on 18 November 2006 when he made his first appearance of the season, coming on as a late substitute, in a 3–1 win over
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
. Onuoha then appeared in the next six matches before injuring his knee once again. He didn't make his return from injury until on 31 March 2007, starting the match, in a 1–0 win against
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
. Following this, Onuoha established himself in the first team for the remaining matches of the season. At the end of the 2006–07 season, he made nineteen appearances in all competitions. Following this, Onuoha was rewarded with a new four-year contract.
In the opening game of the 2007–08 season, Onuoha started the season well when he set up the second goal in the game for
Geovanni
Geovanni Deiberson Maurício Gómez (born 11 January 1980), known simply as Geovanni, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. He was mostly used as an attacking midfielder but was also able to play on both wings and up front.
Club ca ...
, in a 2–0 win over
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
. He captained the Manchester City side to a 2–1 victory over
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...
in the League Cup second round. Over the season, Onuoha found himself, competing in the first team at the club's defence. After spending two months out of the first team, he made his return to the starting line–up, starting the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
on 22 December 2007. Onuoha continued to remain in the club's first team despite suffering injuries along the way. He then scored his first goal for City at home against
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
on 16 March 2008 in a 2–1 win. On 5 April 2008, Onuoha dislocated his shoulder in a game against
Chelsea and was ruled out for the remainder of the
2007–08 season following surgery. At the end of the season, he went on to make twenty–one appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
In the 2008–09 season, Onuoha made his UEFA Cup debut, starting and playing the whole game, in a 2–0 win over
EB/Streymur
EB/Streymur is a Faroe Islands, Faroese Professional sports, semi-professional football Football team, club based in Streymnes and Eiði. The club was founded in 1993, as result of the merger between Eiðis Bóltfelag, EB and Ítróttarfelagið S ...
in the first leg of the UEFA Cup qualifying round. However, the start of the 2008–09 season saw Onuoha sidelined, who suffered a knee injury while on international duty. It wasn't until on 20 October 2008 when he made his return from injury, coming on as a substitute for
Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards (born 24 June 1988) is an English Association football, football pundit and former professional player who played as a right-back.
Richards began his senior career with Manchester City F.C., Manchester City and made 245 a ...
in the 58th minute, in a 2–2 draw against Newcastle United. Soon after, Onuoha found himself in the substitute bench for the next two months. But after City's 3–0 defeat to
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
in the FA Cup, he started every single game until the end of the season, forming an effective partnership with
Richard Dunne
Richard Patrick Dunne (born 21 September 1979) is an Irish former professional footballer and current television pundit for TNT Sports, who played as a centre-back. He made 431 Premier League appearances, including 253 for Manchester City.
Du ...
in the centre of defence. He then scored his first goal of the season in the first leg of the UEFA Cup Round, in a 2–2 draw against
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
and helped the side go through to the next round after winning 2–1 in the second leg. Two months later on 19 April 2009, Onuoha scored his second goal of the season, in a 4–2 win over
West Brom. Two weeks later on 2 May 2009, he set up the club's opening goal of the game, in a 3–1 win over
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
. For his performance, he was named Manchester City's Thomas Cook Player of the Month on two occasions for March and May. At the end of the 2008–09 season, Onuoha went on to make thirty appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. Following this, Onuoha agreed to a new five-year deal with Manchester City on 29 July 2009. During the 2008–09 season, he said about the club's new ownership, saying: "The takeover was a shock in itself, it was insane. Out of nowhere, we were getting called the richest club in football. It was a shock not just to the players, but the whole football world, it was such a big statement at that time."
In the 2009–10 season, Onuoha found himself out of the first team, due to being on the substitute bench over his own injury concern. It wasn't until on 21 November 2009 when he made his first appearance of the season, coming on as a substitute in the second half, in a 2–2 draw against Liverpool. However, his return was short–lived when Onuoha suffered a groin injury that kept him out throughout December. Onuoha didn't make return to the first team until on 24 January 2010 against
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The club was formed in ...
in the fourth round of the FA Cup, as they won 4–2. Three months later on 11 April 2010, Onuoha played a role when he set up a goal for
Carlos Tevez
Carlos Alberto Tevez (; né Martínez; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player. A dynamic forward (association football), forward in his prime, Tevez ...
and scored from a solo run, as Manchester City won 5–1 against Birmingham City. Over the season, he found himself on the substitute bench for the remaining matches, due to competition in the club's defence. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Onuoha went on to make seventeen appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. Following this, he criticised Manager
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini (; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team.
As a player, Mancini operated as a deep-lying forward, and was best known for h ...
over his decision-making he made at the club.
After returning from a loan spell at Sunderland, Onuoha was linked with a move away from Manchester City, as various
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 ...
clubs made bids for him ahead of the 2011–12 season. It came after when he was told by the club that he would need to look for a new club. But no bid was accepted and he stayed at Manchester City. After being dropped from the club's pre–season tour, he announced his intention to fight for his first team place at Manchester City in the 2011–12 season. However, his first team opportunities at Manchester City were limited as Manager Mancini said: Onuoha will stay with us because he is homegrown but he knows it is difficult for him to play often." But he made his first appearance of the season, starting the whole game, in a 2–0 win over Birmingham City in the third round of the League Cup. In January 2012, Onuoha continued to be linked a move away from the club, as Queens Park Rangers made a bid for him. After the bid was accepted, the agreement between Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers was made for Onuoha on 19 January 2012. By the time he departed Manchester City that season, he had made three appearances for the side. Local newspaper, Manchester Evening News, praised Onuoha "as a true professional".
Sunderland (loan)
It was announced on 12 August 2010 that Onuoha had joined
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 ...
, then in the Premier League, on a season-long loan. Upon joining the club, Manager
Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who was a centre-back in a twenty-year playing career. He is currently the head coa ...
said about Onuoha: "What do I like about Nedum? He's young, hungry and desperate to do well. He wants to play every week. He's quick, big, strong and powerful – all the things the modern game demands of a player. These days the defenders are as quick as the forwards and the added attraction is that Nedum can play right across the back four. I'm very pleased indeed to have him here."
He made his Sunderland début on 14 August against
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 ...
at the
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England, and the eighth and current home to Sunderland. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light is the ninth largest football stadium in England. The ...
. Since joining the club, Onuoha quickly established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the midfield position. He quickly made an impact for the side and impressed in a number of matches. Onuoha then set up a goal for
Darren Bent
Darren Ashley Bent (born 6 February 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker and is currently a radio presenter for talkSPORT. He played in the Premier League and Championship for nine clubs, and at senior int ...
, who scored the second goal of the game, in a 2–2 draw against Liverpool on 25 September 2010. He scored his first goal as the result of a brilliant dribble around three Chelsea defenders for
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 ...
in a 3–0 win against
Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge on 14 November 2010. Onuoha was involved in the first team in the first half of the season until he suffered a hamstring injury in late–December and missed three matches. He made his return from injury, starting the match, in a 1–1 draw against local rivals, Newcastle United on 16 January 2011. However, Onuoha's return was short–lived when he suffered a calf injury and was sidelined for months. It wasn't until on 9 April 2011 when Onuoha returned from injury, starting the whole game, in a 3–2 loss against West Brom. Following this, he regained his first team place once again for the rest of the season and helped the side avoid relegation, finishing tenth place. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Onuoha went on to make thirty–two appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Following this, the club decided against signing him on a permanent basis despite Manager Bruce keen on signing him earlier.
Queens Park Rangers
On 26 January 2012, Onuoha agreed to a four-and-a-half-year deal with Premier League side
Queens 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 f ...
, reuniting him with his former manager
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of club Carlisle United F.C., Carlisle United.
During his playing career he usually operated as a Forward (asso ...
.
Onuoha made his Queens Park Rangers debut, playing the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against Aston Villa on 2 February 2012. He quickly became a first team regular for the rest of the season, playing in either the right–back or centre–back position. However, Queens Park Rangers found themselves in the relegation zone and he had to help in the fight to retain their Premier League status for the next season. Amid the relegation battle, Onuoha set up a goal for
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Cissé (born 12 August 1981) is a French former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Cissé started his career at his boyhood club Arles-Avignon in 1989, before playing for the youth teams at Nîmes and Auxerre. Cissé sp ...
to score a late consolation, as Queens Park Rangers lost 6–1 to
local rivals, Chelsea on 29 April 2012. Ahead of the final day of the season, with QPR requiring at least a draw in their match away at his former club, Manchester City or for
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
not to win in order to guarantee Premier League safety on 13 May 2012, Onuoha said about the match that he would want to see his former club, Manchester City win the Premier League and Queens Park Rangers stay up in the Premier League. In the last game of the season, he played the whole game, as
Manchester City beat Queens Park Rangers 3–2, but Bolton's failure to beat
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 ...
meant that QPR survived in the Premier League, which Onuoha successfully predicted. During the 2011–12 season Onuoha had made fourteen appearances for the side.
At the start of the 2012–13 season, Onuoha retained his first team place, playing in either the right–back or centre–back position. Over the course of the season, he found himself out of the first team, due to being given compassionate leave following his mother's cancer, as well as his own injury.
Onuoha didn't make his return to the first team until 15 December 2012 against
local rivals Fulham. He helped QPR beat them 2–1, earning their first league win of the season. He then helped the side earn four clean sheets throughout January against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City. However, Queens Park Rangers were eventually relegated to the Championship following a 0–0 draw against
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 ...
on 28 April 2013. At the end of the 2012–13 season, after 26 appearances in all competitions, Onuoha said he would fight for his first team place under the management of
Harry Redknapp
Henry James Redknapp (born 2 March 1947) is an English former association football, football manager (association football), manager and player. He has previously managed AFC Bournemouth, West Ham United F.C., West Ham United, Portsmouth F.C., ...
. He also reflected about the 2012–13 season in an interview with ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
''.
Onuoha scored his first goal for the club on 3 August 2013, against
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Formed in 1867 as an off ...
, in the opening fixture of the 2013–14 season. He then quickly regained his first team place, playing in the centre–back position. He helped the side keep four clean sheets through August to mid–September. However, during a 1–0 win over
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...
on 18 September 2013, Onuoha suffered a hamstring injury and was sidelined for two months. It wasn't until on 9 November 2013 that he made his return from injury, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 1–1 draw against Reading. However, his return was short–lived when Onuoha was sidelined once again with a hamstring injury. He made his return three weeks later on 14 December 2013, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 2–0 win over
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
. After returning, Onuoha found himself in and out of the first team for the next two months, as he was placed on the substitute bench in a number of matches, due to Richard Dunne and
Clint Hill being preferred as the first choice centre–backs, before returning to the starting eleven permanently for the remaining matches of the 2013–14 season. This continued despite suffering from injuries along the way. Onuoha then scored on his return from injury, in a 5–2 win over Nottingham Forest on 12 April 2014. In the
Championship play-offs
The English Football League (EFL) Championship play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL Championship table and are part of the English Football League play-of ...
, Onuoha played in both legs against
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, they have p ...
, as they won 2–1 on aggregate. He was a member of the Queens Park Rangers side which won the
2014 Championship play-off final 1–0 against
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
on 24 May 2014 at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
. At the end of the 2013–14 season, Onuoha went on to make thirty–one appearances, scoring two times in all competitions.
At the start of the 2014–15 season, however, Onuoha found himself out of the first team and placed on the substitute bench due to new signings made over the summer.
His first appearance of the season came on 24 August 2014, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 4–0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur. Onuoha scored an own goal against West Ham United on 5 October 2014 when opposition player "
Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing (born 22 July 1984) is an English former professional footballer. He played most of his career as a winger or left-back He is currently the assistant coach for Leeds United's U21 squad.
Downing started his career at Middlesbro ...
's corner struck the knee of Onuoha, standing on the edge of the six-yard area, and rolled in", as Queens Park Rangers lost 2–0. In a follow–up match against Liverpool, he suffered a hamstring injury and had to be substituted, resulting him being out for several weeks. It wasn't until on 22 November 2014 when Onuoha made his return to the first team from injury, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 loss against Newcastle United. Onuoha found himself in and out of the first team throughout the season, as he was placed on the substitute bench in a number of matches.
During a 2–1 loss against Arsenal on 26 December 2014, Onuoha was head-butted by opposition player,
Olivier Giroud
Olivier Jonathan Giroud (; born 30 September 1986) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.
Giroud began his senior club career ...
, which resulted in his sending off in the 53rd minute; despite this, he continued playing for the rest of the match. By February, Onuoha suffered a hamstring injury that saw him out throughout February. It wasn't until on 4 March 2015 when Onuoha made his return from injury, starting the match against Arsenal but during the match, he clashed with teammate
Steven Caulker, resulting in his substitution at half time, as Queens Park Rangers lost 2–1. Onuoha was then sent–off for a second bookable, in a 2–1 loss against Liverpool on 2 May 2015. In a follow–up match against Manchester City, they lost 6–0, resulting in their relegation to the Championship for the second time. At the end of the 2014–15 season, he went on to make twenty–five appearances in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2015–16 season, Onuoha was linked with a move away from Queens Park Rangers, with Premier League clubs interested but no move was ever made. Amid the transfer speculation, Onuoha was appointed club captain, succeeding
Joey Barton
Joseph Anthony Barton (born 2 September 1982) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Barton made 269 appearances in the Premier League, including 130 for Manchester City; he was most recentl ...
, who had left over the summer. His first match as captain came in the opening game of the season, as Queens Park Rangers lost 2–0 against
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Their home ground is ...
. In a follow–up match against
Yeovil Town in the first round of the League Cup, he scored his first goal of the season, in what was his 100th appearance, in a 3–0 win. On 2 September 2015, Onuoha signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2018. Fourteen days later on 16 September 2015, he scored his second goal of the season, in a 2–2 draw against Blackburn Rovers Onuoha continued to establish himself in the starting eleven for the side and rotate in either right–back and centre–back position, as well as, continuing his duties as captain. By October, his leadership received criticism as the club shared the Championship's worst goals record with
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...
but received a vote of confidence as captain by Manager
Chris Ramsey. But the results soon improved throughout the rest of the 2015–16 season. At one point, Onuoha helped the side keep three clean sheets between 28 November 2015 and 12 December 2015. During this, he scored again, in a 1–0 win over Reading on 3 December 2015. Onuoha guided Queens Park Rangers to a 12th-place finish in their first season back in the second tier. At the end of the 2015–16 season, Onuoha was ever-present in Queens Park Rangers matches, as he went on to make 48 appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.
The 2016–17 season saw Onuoha continuing to cement his captaincy, as well as his place in the starting eleven, rotating between right–back and centre–back positions. He started the 2016–17 season well when he scored the opener and set up the third goal in a 3–1 win over
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
in the opening game of the season. However, against
Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
on 20 August 2016, Onuoha scored an own goal to give the opposition side their second goal, as Queens Park Rangers lost 2–0. The following match saw him score his second goal of the season as the side won 1–0 against Wigan Athletic. However, in a 3–0 loss against Brighton & Hove Albion on 27 December 2016, Onuoha was sent off for a professional foul in the 56th minute. After serving a one match suspension, he returned to the first team, coming on as a substitute in the second half, and set up a goal for
Paweł Wszołek, who scored the winning goal, in a 2–1 win over
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 ...
on 2 January 2017. His performance attracted interests from Premier League strugglers Sunderland, but he stayed at the club. Over the season, his performance had been a subject of criticism, due to "his inability with the ball at his feet" and leadership. This led some Queens Park Rangers' supporters to call for Onuoha to be dropped from the first team against
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
on 18 March 2017, but he proved them wrong when he scored the third goal of the season in a 5–1 win. Onuoha said at the start of the season that the club's objective was to challenge for promotion. But poor results throughout the season saw them finish eighteen place in the league. Despite this, both Onuoha and
Grant Hall were praised by new signing
Joel Lynch
Joel John Lynch (born 3 October 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for UAE Second Division League club Precision. He previously played for Brighton & Hove Albion, Nottingham Forest, Huddersfield Town and Queens Park Ran ...
for their improvement in defence throughout the 2016–17 season, as well as, "pushing each other on to greater heights in order to stay in the team." Although he missed two matches during the 2016–17 season, Onuoha went on to make forty–seven appearances, scoring three times in all competitions. During the season, he was awarded the PFA Community Champion Award.
The 2017–18 season saw Onuoha retain his captaincy as well as his place in the starting eleven for the side, playing in the centre–back position for most of the season. His 200th appearance for the club came on 9 September 2017, playing the whole game, in a 2–1 win over Ipswich Town. However, in a follow–up match against
Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
, Onuoha suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted at half time, as the game finished 2–2. Shortly after, it was announced that Onuoha was out for three months. While on the sidelines, the club opened talks with him over a new contract. It wasn't until on 9 December 2017 that Onuoha made his return from injury, playing the whole game in a 3–1 loss against Leeds United. Since his return to the first team, he regained his first team place as well as the captaincy. During a 4–0 loss against
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
on 7 April 2018, Onuoha was sent–off in the last minute of the game for a professional foul on
Markus Henriksen
Markus Henriksen (born 25 July 1992) is a former Norwegian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder. He last played for Eliteserien club Rosenborg BK, Rosenborg.
Club career Rosenborg
Henriksen moved from Trond IL ...
; and served a three match suspension. Despite being absent that saw him miss seventeen matches during the 2017–18 season, Onuoha helped the side finish sixteen place in the league. Having made 36 appearances in the 2017–18 season, it was announced on 27 April 2018, it was announced that Onuoha would be leaving the club at the end of the 2017–18 season, bringing an end to a six-and-a-half-year stay. By the time of his departure, he was awarded the
Ray Jones Players' Player of the Year, voted for by his team-mates.
Real Salt Lake
Onuoha joined
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
's
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Fou ...
on 14 September 2018. He later explained the move, saying: "I have always been someone that wanted to go and experience something a bit different."
Onuoha made his Real Salt Lake debut, coming on as a late substitute, in a 1–1 draw against
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The ad ...
on 30 September 2018. In his second appearance for the club, he then set up a goal for
Damir Kreilach to score the club's fourth goal of the game, in a 4–1 win over
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...
on 18 October 2018. Having been initially placed on the substitute, Onuoha was featured in the three matches in the
MLS Cup Playoffs, as they lost Sporting Kansas City 5–3 on aggregate. At the end of the 2018 season, he went on to make five appearances for the side.
In the 2019 season, Onuoha established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the centre–back position. During a 2–1 against
LA Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Gal ...
on 29 April 2019, he was involved in altercation with LA Galaxy's striker
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Ibrahimović is known for his acrobatic strikes and Volley (association footba ...
; leading Onuoha accusing Ibrahimovic of foul play and threats to injure him during a game, calling him "arrogant", "disrespectful", and "a complete thug". During a 1–0 win 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 4 July 2019, he suffered a thigh injury in the 73rd minute and was substituted as a result. As a result, Onuoha was sidelined for a month. It wasn't until on 10 August 2019 when Onuoha made his return from injury, coming on as a substitute in the 76th minute, in a 2–1 win over Sporting Kansas City. After being dropped for one match, he scored his first goal for the club on 26 September 2019, in a 2–1 loss against LA Galaxy. Onuoha helped the side qualify for the
MLS Cup Playoffs but lost 2–0 against
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
on 24 October 2019. At the end of the 2019 season, he went on to make thirty appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
Onuoha announced his retirement from playing professional football following Salt Lake's 2020 season.
In August 2019, Onuoha began hosting a podcast entitled ''Kickback with Nedum''.
International career
Onuoha was eligible to play for
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
(having received British citizenship at seven years old) and
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, ...
(the country in which he was born). He was invited by Nigeria manager
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts (; born 30 December 1946) is a German former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga his whole professional club career and won the FIFA World Cup wi ...
to represent Nigeria at the
2008 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated with the Confede ...
; however, Onuoha turned down the opportunity because his club, Manchester City, had recently had a change of manager and he did not want to lose his place in the team by being absent on international duty for a month. Onuoha stated in 2022 that he regretted this choice; he ended up never playing senior international football.
England youth team
Having previously played for
England U20
England national under-20 football team, also known as England Under-20s or England U20(s) or England Men's Elite Squad, represents England in association football at an under-20 age level and is controlled by the Football Association, the gov ...
, Onuoha was then a regular in the
England U-21 side, making his debut on 12 October 2005.
He was part of the squad participating in the
2007 European Under 21s Championship in the Netherlands. Onuoha started the tournament well when he helped the side keep a clean sheet, in a 0–0 draw against
Czech Republic U21. During the Championships, Onuoha was subjected to racist abuse from
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
n fans, but received praise for maintaining his conduct amid provocation. Following the match, he describe the racial abuse he received as "horrific". He was a regular at centre back, partnering
Steven Taylor. During the semi-final against the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, he limped off with an injury and England were down to ten men as all three of the permitted substitutions had been made; they lost 13–12 on penalties.
Three months later on 7 September 2007, Onuoha scored his first England U21 goal, in a 3–0 win over
Montenegro U21. He then captained the England Under-21 team for the first time in a 0–0 draw with
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
Under-21s. In the summer of 2009, he took part in the
European Championships
A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.
In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
, which proved to be his last time he played his last match for the U-21's. Onuoha played in the centre–back position, where he helped England U21 keep a clean sheet, in a 2–0 win over
Spain U21 on 18 June 2009. He scored in a 3–3 draw against Sweden in the semi-finals of the 2009 Under-21 European Championship and helped them reach the final after winning 5–4 on penalties. However, Onuoha started in defence for England in the 4–0 defeat to
Germany U21 in the final of the Under-21 Championships.
Post-England youth team career
In March 2007, Onuoha received an international call-up from
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, ...
, but announced that he would prefer to represent
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
at full international level. However, he later admitted that he would have played at the
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
for Nigeria if he had been called up. "It is a tough call. I would love to play for England," he said in November 2009. "But I also get a certain feeling when I see Nigeria play. It is not the best time to make such a big decision, so for now I am not making one." By 2016, Onuoha commented that he has given up hopes of earning a call-up from Nigeria.
Career statistics
Honours
England U21
*
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the comp ...
runner-up:
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
Queens Park Rangers
*
Football League Championship play-offs
The English Football League (EFL) Championship play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL Championship table and are part of the English Football League play-of ...
:
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
References
External links
*
England profile at
The FA
The Football Association (the FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsibl ...
Nedum Onuoha's Premier League profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Onuoha, Nedum
1986 births
Living people
Footballers from Warri
Nigerian men's footballers
English men's footballers
England men's youth international footballers
England men's under-21 international footballers
Manchester City F.C. players
Sunderland A.F.C. players
Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
Real Salt Lake players
Premier League players
English Football League players
Major League Soccer players
English people of Nigerian descent
Sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Nigerian emigrants to the United Kingdom
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
Black British sportsmen
People educated at Oldham Hulme Grammar School
Men's association football defenders
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
English expatriate sportspeople in the United States
English expatriate men's footballers
Footballers from Manchester
English podcasters
21st-century British autobiographers
English autobiographers
21st-century English sportsmen
21st-century Nigerian sportsmen