Adedire Mebude
{{Short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Adedire Mebude
| image = 2025-03-05 Adedire Mebude HSV pic1.jpg
| fullname = Adedire Emmanuel Awokoya-Mebude{{WorldFootball.net|adedire-awokoya-mebude}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|5|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = London, England
| height = 1.89 m{{Soccerway|adedire-awokoya-mebude/637277|A. Mebude}}
| currentclub = Hamburger SV
| clubnumber = 16
| position = Forward
| youthyears1 = 2014–2020
| youthclubs1 = Rangers
| youthyears2 = 2020–2023
| youthclubs2 = Manchester City
| years1 = 2023–
| clubs1 = Westerlo
| caps1 = 20
| goals1 = 2
| years2 = 2024
| clubs2 = → Bristol City (loan)
| caps2 = 3
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2025–
| clubs3 = → Hamburger SV (loan)
| caps3 = 3
| goals3 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2019–2020
| nationalteam1 = Scotland U16
| nationalcaps1 = 4
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| nationalyears2 = 2022–
| nationalteam2 = Scotland U19
| nationalcaps2 = 8
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| nationalyears3 = 2023–
| nationalteam3 = Scotland U21
| nationalcaps3 = 6
| nationalgoals3 = 1
| club-update = 25 January 2025
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Adedire Emmanuel Awokoya-Mebude (born 28 May 2004) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward for German {{German football updater|Hamburg}} club Hamburger SV on loan from the Belgian Pro League club K.V.C. Westerlo. Born in England, he grew up in Scotland and like his older brother Dapo Mebude he is an under-21 international for Scotland.
Club career
Mebude joined the Scottish side Rangers at the age of ten, progressing through the academy before rejecting the offer of a contract at the age of sixteen.{{cite web|url=https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/12/29/who-is-adedire-mebude-18-year-old-who-left-rangers-now-shining-with-spurs-reportedly-interested/|title=Who is Adedire Mebude? 18-year-old who left Rangers now shining with Spurs reportedly interested|first=Billy|last=Meyers|date=29 December 2022|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=hitc.com}} In September 2020, he joined the academy of Premier League side Manchester City.{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/18757205.manchester-city-sign-rangers-youngster-dire-mebude/|title=Manchester City sign Rangers youngster Dire Mebude|first=Christopher|last=Jack|date=29 September 2020|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=heraldscotland.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/rangers-turn-profit-manchester-city-sign-prospect-dire-mebude-2987822|title=Rangers turn a profit as Manchester City sign up prospect Dire Mebude|first=David|last=Oliver|date=30 September 2020|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=scotsman.com}} He signed his first professional contract with Manchester City in July 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/sport/dire-mebude-signs-first-professional-21008364|title=Dire Mebude signs first professional contract at Manchester City after leaving Rangers|first=Daniel|last=Caw|date=9 July 2021|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=glasgowlive.co.uk}}
In August 2022, renewed contract talks between Mebude and Manchester City reportedly stalled, with fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur linked with a move for the player, as well as PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-transfer-news-adedire-mebude-man-city-b1022027.html|title=Tottenham join Adedire Mebude transfer race as Man City contract talks stall|first=Nizaar|last=Kinsella|date=31 August 2022|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=standard.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://theathletic.com/3544084/2022/08/29/ornstein-transfer-deadline-pepe-premier-league/|title=Ornstein: Transfer deadline guide, Pepe's 25% pay cut, Premier League's plane shortage|first=David|last=Ornstein|date=29 August 2022|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=theathletic.com|quote=A younger player attracting a lot of interest as we edge towards deadline day is Manchester City prospect Adedire Mebude. PSV Eindhoven and Club Bruges are both believed to be among the teams who have enquired about his availability.}} {{subscription required}}
On 26 July 2023, Medube made a transfer from Manchester City to KVC Westerlo for a reported fee of up to £1.65m.{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/23682519.rangers-set-land-fee-dire-mebude-nears-manchester-city-exit/|title=Rangers set to land fee as Dire Mebude nears Manchester City exit
|first=Aidan|last=Smith|date=26 July 2023|accessdate=7 August 2023|website=theheraldscotland.com|quote=Mebude's form has caught the eye and he is now set to sign for Belgian club Westerlo in a deal worth up to £1.65m.}} He made his competitive debut on 6 August 2023, coming off the bench in a 1–0 against Club Brugge.{{Cite web |last=Nicolson |first=Laura |date=2024-05-28 |title=Get to know your Scotland Men's U21 Squad – Youth Football Scotland |url=https://www.youthfootballscotland.co.uk/get-to-know-your-scotland-mens-u21-squad/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |language=en-US}}
On 1 February 2024, Medube signed for EFL Championship club Bristol City on loan until the end of the season.{{Cite news |title=Bristol City sign teenage winger Mebude on loan |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68175925 |access-date=2024-02-01 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}} He made his first appearance as a substitute in Bristol City's 3–1 win at home to Southampton.https://x.com/BristolCity/status/1757520936620736569?s=20
On 28 January 2025, Medube moved on loan to Hamburger SV in Germany.{{cite web|publisher=Hamburger SV|url=https://www.hsv.de/news/hsv-leiht-mebude-aus|title=HSV leiht Mebude aus|trans-title=HSV loans Mebude|date=28 January 2025|access-date=28 January 2025|language=de}}
International career
Mebude has represented Scotland at youth international levels up to the U21s.{{SFA player|350862|Adedire Awokoya-Mebude }} He is also eligible to represent England and Nigeria.
Style of play
Described by Manchester City as a "skilful forward with blistering pace", Mebude is renowned for his goalscoring ability, and was named academy player's player of the year for the 2021–22 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.mancity.com/players/adedire-mebude|title=Adedire Mebude|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=mancity.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mancity.com/news/eds-academy/academy-award-winners-honoured-63787983|title=Quintet recognised at Academy Player of the Year awards|first=Neil|last=Leigh|date=12 May 2022|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=mancity.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-city-dire-mebude-eds-24765387|title=Exciting Man City youngster Dire Mebude told how he can get even better|first=Daniel|last=Murphy|date=16 August 2022|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=manchestereveningnews.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=46009|title=PL2 : Red-hot Mebude at the double for Manchester City in 6-0 rout of Arsenal|first=Ifeanyi|last=Emmanuel|date=8 January 2023|accessdate=18 February 2023|website=allnigeriasoccer.com}}
Personal life
Mebude is the brother of fellow professional footballer Dapo Mebude.
Career statistics
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|National Cup !colspan=2|League Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan=2|Manchester City U21
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 1{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearances in the EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2022–23
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 2{{efn|name=EFLT}} | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| rowspan=3|K.V.C. Westerlo
|3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25
|Belgian Pro League |16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | ||
| colspan="2" |Total
!19||2||2||0||colspan="2" |—||0||0||21||2 | ||||||||||
| Bristol City (loan)
|3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 3 | 0 | ||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!22||2||2||0||0||0||3||0||27||2 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Hamburger SV squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mebude, Adedire}}
Category:Footballers from London
Category:Footballers from Glasgow
Category:Black British sportsmen
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Scotland men's youth international footballers
Category:Scotland men's under-21 international footballers
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Scottish people of Nigerian descent
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Manchester City F.C. players
Category:Bristol City F.C. players
Category:K.V.C. Westerlo players
Category:Belgian Pro League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Scottish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Germany