David Ijaha
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = David Ijaha
| fullname =
| image = David Ijaha.jpg|caption=Ijaha captaining Whitehawk in 2017
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1990|2|20}}
| birth_place = London, England
| height =
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Rayners Lane
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2002–2005
| youthclubs1 = Chelsea
| youthyears2 = 2006–2008
| youthclubs2 = Wolverhampton Wanderers
| years1 = 2010–2011
| clubs1 = Harrow Borough{{Cite web|url=https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/harrowborough/teams/60083/player/david-ijaha-681346/10700|title=David Ijaha - Harrow Borough Football Club First Team|website=Pitchero}}
| caps1 = 39
| goals1 = 2
| clubs2 = St Albans City{{cite web |url=http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/david-ijaha |title=David Ijaha |website=aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk |publisher=Aylesbury United FC and Luke Buckingham Brown |access-date=11 January 2017}}
| years2 = 2011–2012
| caps2 = 62
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 2012–2014
| clubs3 = Tonbridge Angels
| caps3 = 55
| goals3 = 4
| years4 = 2014
| clubs4 = Hayes & Yeading United
| caps4 = 7
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2014–2016
| clubs5 = Whitehawk
| caps5 = 62
| goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2016–2017
| clubs6 = Plymouth Argyle
| caps6 = 3
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2017
| clubs7 = Wealdstone
| caps7 = 3
| goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2017–2018
| clubs8 = Whitehawk
| caps8 = 31
| goals8 =2
| years9 = 2018–2019
| clubs9 = Welling United
| caps9 = 35
| goals9 = 3
| years10 = 2019–2020
| clubs10 = Dulwich Hamlet
| caps10 = 26
| goals10 = 3
| years11 = 2020–2021
| clubs11 = Dartford
| caps11 = 10
| goals11 = 0
| years12 = 2022
| clubs12 = Dartford
| caps12 = 0
| goals12 = 0
| years13 = 2022
| clubs13 = → Whitehawk (loan)
| caps13 = 4
| goals13 = 0
| years14 = 2022–2024
| clubs14 = Cray Wanderers
| caps14 = 79
| goals14 = 1
| years15 = 2025–
| clubs15 = Rayners Lane
| caps15 = 1
| goals15 = 0
| club-update = 09:20, 11 February 2025 (UTC)
}}
David Ijaha (born 17 February 1990) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder or defender for {{English football updater|RaynersL}} club Rayners Lane.{{soccerway|david-ijaha/160390|accessdate=8 August 2017}} The discrepancy between source and infobox figures for Whitehawk is because Soccerway counts playoff matches in with league matches and Wikipedia does not.
Career
=Early career=
Ijaha was at his local Chelsea academy for three years as a youngster, being released at the age of 15. Having earned a place at an England Schoolboy training camp he met up with Kyle Bennett who introduced him to Wolverhampton Wanderers,Whitehawk Official Matchday Programme v Chippenham Town, 25 November 2017 where he spent two seasons playing for the U18 side and the reserves,{{Cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.net/sport/football/match-reports/stourbridge-1-wolves-4-56136|title=Stourbridge 1 Wolves 4|date=9 January 2008|website=Birmingham Mail}} before being released.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tonbridgeangelsonline.co.uk/news/david-ijaha-signs-for-the-angels-807392.html |title=David Ijaha Signs for the Angels - News - Tonbridge Angels |access-date=21 December 2017 |archive-date=22 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222072646/http://www.tonbridgeangelsonline.co.uk/news/david-ijaha-signs-for-the-angels-807392.html |url-status=dead }}
=Non-League career=
After a spell out of the game, Ijaha joined Harrow Borough in August 2010 and then followed his manager David Howell to Southern Premier Division club St Albans City, where he was made captain. He signed for National League South side Tonbridge Angels in December 2013. Following Tonbridge's relegation, Ijaha joined Hayes & Yeading United at the start of the 2014–2015 season, where he had been a long term target of manager Phil Babb. However, he soon moved to National League South rivals Whitehawk{{Cite web|url=http://nonleague.pitchero.com/uncategorized/ijaha-makes-hawks-switch-34253/|title=Ijaha Makes Hawks Switch|date=2 October 2014}} where he spent two seasons.
=Plymouth Argyle=
At the start of the 2016–17 season, Ijaha was invited down to Home Park for a trial by Plymouth Argyle's assistant manager Craig Brewster, who had previously coached in Sussex at Whitehawk. Ijaha impressed enough to be offered a contract {{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36827560 |title=Plymouth sign midfielder Ijaha |work= BBC Sport|access-date=21 December 2017}} and he made his Football League debut at the age of 27, playing for Plymouth Argyle in a 3–0 loss against Luton Town on 6 August 2016. After struggling with a long-term injury,{{Cite web|url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/david-ijaha-secures-non-league-294512|title=David Ijaha secures non-league contract after Argyle exit|first=Beren|last=Cross|date=8 August 2017|website=Plymouth Herald}} Ijaha was released at the end of the 2016–17 season having made three league appearances.{{cite news |url=http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/plymouth-argyle-release-nine-first-team-players-as-retained-list-is-announced/story-30324463-detail/story.html |title=Plymouth Argyle release nine first team players as retained list is announced |first=David |last=Munday |newspaper=Plymouth Herald |date=10 May 2017 |access-date=17 July 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
=Later career=
Ijaha had a short spell with National League South club Wealdstone at the beginning of the 2017–18 season,{{cite web |url=http://www.wealdstone-fc.com/2017/posts/stones-sign-midfielder-david-ijaha/ |title=Player news – one in & one out |publisher=Wealdstone F.C. |date=8 August 2017 |access-date=8 August 2017}} before rejoining Whitehawk and being appointed captain in September.{{cite web |url=http://whitehawkfc.com/player/david-ijaha/ |title=David Ijaha |publisher=Whitehawk F.C. |access-date=13 October 2017}}
After a season at Welling United in 2018–19 and another season at Dulwich Hamlet in 2019–20, Ijaha joined league rivals Dartford for the 2020–21 season. He re-joined Dartford towards the end of the 2021–22 season before going out on loan to former-side Whitehawk.{{cite web |url=https://whitehawkfc.com/wadhams-strikes-emphatically-to-lift-whitehawk-over-high-flying-ramsgate/ |title=WADHAMS STRIKES EMPHATICALLY TO LIFT WHITEHAWK OVER HIGH-FLYING RAMSGATE |publisher=Whitehawk F.C. |access-date=20 March 2020}}
On September 16, 2022, Ijaha signed for Cray Wanderers.{{cite news |url=https://www.cray-wanderers.com/cray-wanderers-squad-update-new-signing-david-ijaha/ |title=CRAY WANDERERS SQUAD UPDATE – NEW SIGNING, DAVID IJAHA |work= Cray Wanderers|access-date=16 September 2022}} He departed the club in November 2024. {{cite tweet|number=1862486920309194787|title=From all at @OfficialWands we send our thanks to David Ijaha who has departed the club. David made 92 appearances for the Wands after signing in September 2022, scoring 5 goals including in the Isthmian Premier League playoff semi final vs Hornchurch in May 2023.|user=OfficialWands|author-link=Cray Wanderers F.C.|date=29 November 2024|accessdate=7 December 2024}}
In February 2025, Ijaha joined Isthmian League South Central Division side Rayners Lane. {{cite tweet|number=1887848522944217486|title=Welcome to the Lane our new additions to our squad..💚💚 ✍️ Deshane Dalling ✍️ David Ijahi ✍️ Mo Kamara ✍️ Remi Bennison #WeAreRaynersLane|user=RaynersLaneFC|author-link=Rayners Lane F.C.|date=7 February 2025|accessdate=11 February 2025}}
Personal life
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 16 November 2024}} {{Cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/david-ijaha/160390/|title=D. Ijaha - Profile|website=Soccerway}}{{Cite web|url=https://whitehawkfc.com/|title=Whitehawk FC}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ijaha, David}}
Category:Footballers from London
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players
Category:Harrow Borough F.C. players
Category:St Albans City F.C. players
Category:Tonbridge Angels F.C. players
Category:Hayes & Yeading United F.C. players
Category:Whitehawk F.C. players
Category:Plymouth Argyle F.C. players
Category:Wealdstone F.C. players
Category:Welling United F.C. players
Category:Dulwich Hamlet F.C. players
Category:Dartford F.C. players
Category:Cray Wanderers F.C. players
Category:Rayners Lane F.C. players
Category:Isthmian League players
Category:Southern Football League players
Category:National League (English football) players
Category:English Football League players