- Sam Adekugbe (30) is a famous Canadian soccer player who was listed among the players for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
- He is the first of five siblings Elijah, Ruth, Abigail, and Debbie, who were born to parents of Nigerian descent
- The England-born footballer is a deep and philosophical thinker but also very religious as he was raised by Christian pastors
Sam Adekugbe is a Nigerian-English-Canadian professional soccer player who plays for the Canadian National Team. He started his career at Manchester United Grassroot program and has risen to play for different clubs including Brighton & Hove Albion, Valenrenga, and Hatayspor.
The 30-year-old is the first of five children born to Ben and Dee Adekugbe, who are both pastors. His involvement in the Canadian football team led them to qualify for the World Cup after 36 years.
Early Life and Biography of Sam Adekugbe
Samuel Ayomide Adekugbe was born in London, England, on January 16, 1995. Sam developed an interest in football at a very tender age.
At the age of 3, his family relocated to Manchester, where he joined the Manchester United Grassroots program. He attended the Nicholas Varley community school, in Manchester between 2004 to 2006. While in Manchester, his parents signed him to the Bobby Charlton soccer schools, as a mascot.
By the time he turned 9, his family moved again, this time to Canada, and settled in Calgary. In Calgary, he joined the Midnapore community center for 2 years. He also attended Sir Churchill Winston and Dr. E. P Scarlett High school, both in Calgary.
The player and his younger brother were beneficiaries of KidSport, an organization that supports children who are interested in sports but cannot afford the facilities to help do better.
Sam Adekugbe’s Career
In 2013, at the age of 16, the young footballer moved to Vancouver, where he got signed to Generation Adidas homegrown contract with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which made him the seventh homegrown signing in the club’s history. He played his first game for the club in October of the same year.
The Nigerian native was given out on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion, for a season. There, he scored his first goal in his professional career in a game against Oxford United. Again, he was loaned out to IFK Goteborg, an Allsvenskan club, in 2017. This loan came with an option to buy.
In 2018, he signed a four-year deal with Eliteserien club, Valenrenga. Similarly, he signed a three-year contract with the Turkish club, Hatayspor, and made his debut in the same club in August 2021.
International Career
In 2012, the England-born football player became eligible to represent England, Nigeria, or Canada. Adekugbe joined Canada’s under-18 team in 2013 and played in the COTIF U-20 tournament in August of the same year. He then moved to the under-20 team. In 2015, he played for Canada in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship.
Although he was invited to Canada’s senior team in 2013, he did not make his debut until 2015 in a match against the Belize National Team. In 2017 he was listed in Canada’s national team to play at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Adekugbe scored his first goal for Canada’s National team in the 2022 World Cup qualifier match against the United States. Subsequently, he was listed among the players for the 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar.
Sam Adekugbe’s Family
The Canadian footballer’s family is originally from Nigeria. His parents Elijah and Dee Adekugbe moved to England before Sam was born, in search of greener pastures. He was raised alongside his siblings Elijah, Ruth, Abigail, and Debbie.
Sam’s father, Ben, works as a barber at Perfect Touch while pastoring a church alongside his wife, Dee. They are a close-knit and supportive family.
Who is the Canadian Footballer Dating?
Although the footballer has not revealed the identity of his girlfriend, it was revealed that the duo met in Vancouver, after he move there to play for the Whitecaps FC. Since they met in Canada, the Celebrity’s girlfriend may be Canadian.
She is also very supportive of the Football player as he revealed that she traveled to Turkey to support him while he was away playing in the Super Lig. She traveled alongside his brother, Elijah.
While her profession is not known, most footballers are known to date models, It would not come as a surprise if eventually she is found out to be a model.
Other Interesting Facts About The English-born Footballer, Sam Adekugbe
1. Sam Adekugbe Worked as a Mascot at a Soccer Academy
Growing up, Sam’s parents could not afford to send him to a soccer academy, when he showed interest in the sport. To show him support, they enrolled him at the Bobby Charlton soccer schools not as a player but as a mascot. There he was able to learn a few things about professional football, and the rest he learned on his own.
Sam did not attend any soccer academy but was privileged to play regularly for AFC Clayton, a local club in Manchester City.
2. He is a Deep Thinker
In an interview with the Canadian Men’s National Team head coach, John Herdman, he refers to him as a deep thinker. He added that Sam was very philosophical.
The football player believes in personal reflection. He said that not many people understand his thought process. Adekugbe has a deep-rooted belief in himself which he revealed was pivotal in his journey to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He is also very religious as he was raised by pastors and was responsible. As the first child, he saw to it that his siblings performed all tasks assigned to them. His sense of responsibility also extended to the church where his parents pastored as he could miss practice just to make sure everything was in order for church services.
3. Sam Adekugbe Plays the Keyboard
Before he went into football full-time, Sam devoted himself to playing the keyboard at the church every Sunday. Sometimes he would skip soccer practice to attend church service.
His brother recalled how devastated Sam was when he could only play half-time because he had to go to church to play the keyboard. In recent times, Sam only plays the keyboard recreationally, for the entertainment of his family and friends.
4. He is Not the Only Athlete in His Family
The Canadian footballer‘s family is full of athletes. His younger brother, Elijah Adekugbe is also a football player. Elijah is a year younger than Sam. He started his Youth Career at Manchester city academy in 2000.
After his family moved from Manchester to Calgary, he joined the Calgary Foothills FC Academy, and later the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy. In 2015, he went back to the Vancouver Whitecaps and joined the youth club in the inaugural season of the Premier Development League. This was while he was a student at the Trinity Western University
In December 2018, he joined the Cavalry FC and has played for over 4 seasons at the club.
Similarly, all of Sam’s sisters are involved in women’s soccer at different levels. Ruth Adekugbe plays for Houston Dash and also at an international level. Abigail Adekugbe plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the National Women’s Soccer League. Similarly, Debbie Adekugbe is also part of the Canadian leagues.
See Also: Olivier Giroud- Bio, Career, Salary And Net Worth, Wife, Height, 5 Fast Facts
5. The 2022 World Cup is His First Ever World Cup
The 2022 World Cup is Sam Adekugbe’s first-ever world cup. The last time his home country participated in the world cup was 36 years ago, in 1986. At that time the footballer was not born.
His defense skills during the qualifiers helped the country’s team to qualify for the world cup. He scored his first goal against the United States of America during the qualifiers match. Canada qualified after they beat Jamaica 4:0 in the qualifiers, which took place in Toronto.
It is a thing of pride for the 30-year-old to have played a major role in the record-breaking event for his home country. He has been compared to Terence Moore, the Canadian National team’s defender in the 1986 World Cup because of their defending skills. Sam is currently ranked one of the best Canadian players with a value of over 1 million Euros
Although it is the 30-year-old’s first time attending the World Cup, we certainly hope that it won’t be the last, as he has a very bright career path ahead of him. Hopefully, he will get signed to bigger clubs, make a lot more money, and one day win the Ballon d’Or.
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