Michael Ihiekwe

Michael Uzoukwu Absalom Jude Ihiekwe (born 20 November 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Sheffield Wednesday.

Michael Ihiekwe
Personal information
Full name Michael Uzoukwu Absalom Jude Ihiekwe[1]
Date of birth (1992-11-20) 20 November 1992
Place of birth Liverpool, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Sheffield Wednesday
Number 20
Youth career
Liverpool
–2011 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 (0)
2014 → Cheltenham Town (loan) 13 (0)
2014–2017 Tranmere Rovers 112 (5)
2017–2022 Rotherham United 163 (10)
2018–2019 → Accrington Stanley (loan) 20 (1)
2022– Sheffield Wednesday 23 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:05, 7 October 2023 (UTC)

Career

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Ihiekwe was a member of his local side, Liverpool's academy system, before he was released during the 2010–11 season.[2]

He soon joined the youth ranks of Wolverhampton Wanderers, with whom he signed a professional contract in 2011.[3] In May 2012, Ihiekwe signed a contract extension after the club activated a one-year options.[4] Although primarily only involved in youth fixtures, he has twice been an unused substitute for Wolves' first team during the 2013–14 season.[5]

He joined League Two side Cheltenham Town initially on a month-long loan in January 2014.[6] Ihiekwe then made his senior debut on 25 January 2014 in a 1–1 draw at Plymouth Argyle,[7] with his loan then being extended to run until the end of the season, during which he made 13 appearances.[8]

The defender's contract at Wolves expired in summer 2014,[9] and he departed after not making any appearances for the club.

Tranmere Rovers

After being released by Wolves, Ihiekwe signed a two-year deal with League Two side Tranmere Rovers on 18 June 2014.[10] Upon joining the club, Ihiekwe stated he was determined to fight for his place in the first team[11] and was given number five shirt ahead of the new season.[12]

Ihiekwe made his Tranmere Rovers debut in the opening game of the season, a 1–1 draw against York City, where he played 90 minutes.[13] Since his debut, Ihiekwe established himself in the starting eleven at centre-back throughout the season. On 1 November 2014, Ihiekwe scored his first Tranmere Rovers goal, in a 2–2 draw against Stevenage.[14] However, during the season, Ihiekwe suffered ankle injury during the match against Cambridge United after a challenge that saw him stretchered off the field.[15] The injury wasn't serious[16] and he made his return to the first team weeks later, in a 6–2 FA Cup third round loss against Swansea City.[17] His return was short-lived when he suffered an injury three weeks later that kept him out for weeks.[18] After recovering, Ihiekwe made his return to the first team, coming on as a substitute for Rory Donnelly in the 81st minute, in a 3–2 loss against Portsmouth on 24 February 2015.[19] He regained his first team place towards the end of the season, but was unable to help the club, as they were relegated to the Conference Premier. Ihiekwe made thirty-eight appearances for the club in his first season at Tranmere Rovers.

The 2015–16 season saw Ihiekwe given shirt number twelve, with Steve Jennings taking over the number five shirt.[20] Ihiekwe started well, scoring his first goal of the season in a 4–1 win over Gateshead.[21] However, Ihiekwe was soon sidelined for months with a hamstring injury.[22] After making his first team return in a 1–1 draw against Halifax Town on 19 December 2015,[23] Ihiekwe scored his second goal of the season seven days later on 26 December 2015, in a 2–1 win over Macclesfield Town.[24] Since his return, Ihielkwe managed to regain his first team place for the whole season, as he made thirty-five appearances, but was unsuccessful to help the club get back to promotion to League Two. After scoring a late winner against Sutton United in 2017 [25] Ihiekwe was quoted as saying "That will kill Lincoln" [26] Ihiekwe in making his statement was a little premature as Lincoln Then went on to secure their next 6 games undefeated and won the National title gaining promotion back to the football League. As the season progress, Ihiekwe began to play in a full-back position, rather than at centre-back, under the management of Gary Brabin.[27] At the end of the 2015–16 season, Ihiekwe was offered a new contract[28] and signed a one-year contract extension on 1 June 2016.[29]

Rotherham United

On 25 May 2017, Rotherham United announced that Ihiekwe had signed a two-year contract with the League One club.[30] As well as scoring during pre season, Ihiekwe scored his first competitive goal for Rotherham in a 5-1 home win against Oldham.[31]

On 24 August 2018, Ihiekwe joined Accrington Stanley on loan until 2 January 2019.[32]

Sheffield Wednesday

On 22 June 2022, Ihiekwe would join Sheffield Wednesday following the expiration of his Rotherham United contract.[33] He made his Wednesday debut, starting against Portsmouth on 30 July 2022.[34] Manager Darren Moore confirmed that Ihiekwe has sustained knee ligament damage on 3 December 2022 and would have an extended stay in the recovery room.[35] He returned to the squad on 10 April 2023 against Burton Albion.[36]

International career

Ihiekwe was born in England and is of Nigerian descent.[37] In September 2015, Ihiekwe was called up by England C.[38]

Career statistics
As of match played 7 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cheltenham Town (loan) 2013–14[39] League Two 130000000130
Tranmere Rovers 2014–15[40] League Two 38140103[lower-alpha 1]0461
2015–16[41] National League 35200001[lower-alpha 2]0362
2016–17[42] National League 39200009[lower-alpha 3]1483
Total 112540101311306
Rotherham United 2017–18[43] League One 31110102[lower-alpha 4]0351
2018–19[44] Championship 1520000—152
2019–20[45] League One 332322000384
2020–21[46] Championship 422101000442
2021–22[47] League One 42331106[lower-alpha 5]1525
Total 1631083508118314
Accrington Stanley (loan) 2018–19[44] League One 20120001[lower-alpha 6]0231
Sheffield Wednesday 2022–23[48] League One 20020303[lower-alpha 7]0280
2023–24[49] Championship 3000100040
Total 230204030320
Career total 3301616310025238121
  1. Appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. Appearance in FA Trophy
  3. Six appearances in FA Trophy, three in National League play-offs
  4. Appearances in 2017–18 EFL League One play-offs
  5. Appearances and goal in 2021–22 EFL Trophy
  6. Appearance in 2018–19 EFL Trophy
  7. Appearances in 2022–23 EFL League One play-offs

Honours

Rotherham United

Sheffield Wednesday

Individual

References
  1. "List of Temporary Transfers of Players under Written Contract Between 01/08/2018 and 31/08/2018". The Football Association. p. 26. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019.
  2. "Starlet eyes 2010 improvement". Liverpool F.C. 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
  3. "Scholars offered professional deals". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 11 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2011.
  4. "Jody Craddock offered chance of Wolves deal". Express and Star. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  5. "Robins take the Michael". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 10 January 2014.
  6. "Cheltenham: Wolves' Ihiekwe joins and Vincent stays". BBC Sport. 10 January 2014.
  7. "Plymouth Argyle 1–1 Cheltenham Town". BBC Sport. 25 January 2014.
  8. "Ihiekwe and Brundle sign for Cheltenham". BBC Sport. 31 January 2014.
  9. "Young defenders to leave". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014.
  10. "Michael Ihiekwe signs after Wolves departure". BBC Sport. 18 June 2014.
  11. "Tramere's Michael Ihiekwe has his sights set on a first team place". Liverpool Echo. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  12. "2014–15 Squad Numbers Announced". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 17 July 2014. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  13. "Tranmere Rovers 1–1 York City". BBC Sport. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  14. "Tranmere Rovers 2 – 2 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  15. "Match Report: Tranmere Rovers 1 Cambridge United 1". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 19 December 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  16. "Injury Update". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 23 December 2014. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  17. "Tranmere Rovers 2 Swansea City 6 – final whistle report". Liverpool Echo. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  18. "Ihiekwe Set To Miss Carlisle Game". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 5 February 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  19. "Portsmouth 3 – 2 Tranmere Rovers". BBC Sport. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  20. "2015–16 Squad Numbers". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  21. "Gateshead 1 – 4 Tranmere Rovers". BBC Sport. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  22. "Preview: Tranmere v Eastleigh". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 10 October 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  23. "Halifax Town 1 – 1 Tranmere Rover". BBC Sport. 19 December 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  24. "Macclesfield Town 1 – 2 Tranmere Rovers". BBC Sport. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  25. Garnett, Richard (4 April 2017). "Tranmere 3-2 Sutton United: Dramatic last-gasp winner for Rovers".
  26. "Rotherham United: Things you might not know about Millers new boy Michael Ihiekwe".
  27. "Ihiekwe is right back in my plans, says boss Brabin". Liverpool Echo. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  28. "Three Offered New Contracts". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  29. "Ihiekwe Pens New Deal". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 1 June 2016. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  30. "SIGNING | Ihiekwe becomes Millers first summer signing". Rotherham United Official Site. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  31. "Rotherham United 5-1 Oldham Athletic". BBC Sport. 23 September 2017.
  32. "READ | Ihiekwe makes Accrington loan switch". Rotherham United F.C. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  33. "Owls secure Michael Ihiekwe move". Sheffield Wednesday FC. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  34. "Sheffield Wednesday team news confirmed v Portsmouth as Darren Moore hands three debuts". YorkshireLive. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  35. "Bottle it and keep it". Sheffield Wednesday FC. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  36. "Michael Ihiekwe starts in predicted Sheffield Wednesday line-up against Bristol Rovers". YorkshireLive. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  37. "Ex-Liverpool Defender Ihiekwe Offered New Tranmere Rovers Deal :: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". allnigeriasoccer.com.
  38. "Rovers Defender Ihiekwe Gets England C Call-Up". The Football Network. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  39. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  40. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  41. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  42. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  43. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  44. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  45. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  46. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  47. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  48. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  49. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  50. "Rotherham win to go up and relegate Gillingham". BBC Sport. 30 April 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  51. Peddy, Chris (3 April 2022). "Rotherham United 4–2 Sutton United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  52. Ian Woodcock (29 May 2023). "Barnsley 0–1 Sheffield Wednesday". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  53. "Jordan Henderson among five Liverpool players in PFA team of the year". Yahoo! Sport. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  54. "Mohamed Salah and Sam Kerr win PFA player of year awards". BBC Sport. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
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