Franco Umeh
{{short description|Irish association football player (born 2005)}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Franco Umeh
|fullname = Franco Umeh-Chibueze
|birth_place = Ireland
| height =
|image =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2005|02|26|df=y}}
|currentclub = Crystal Palace
|clubnumber = 46
|youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2023
|youthclubs1 = Cork City
|youthyears2 = 2023–2024
|youthclubs2 = Crystal Palace
|years1 = 2022–2023
|clubs1 = Cork City
|caps1 = 2
|goals1 = 0
|years2 = 2024–
|clubs2 = Crystal Palace
|caps2 = 0
|goals2 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 2021–2022
|nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland U17
|nationalcaps1 = 10
|nationalgoals1 = 4
|nationalyears2 = 2022
|nationalteam2 = Republic of Ireland U18
|nationalcaps2 = 3
|nationalgoals2 = 0
|nationalyears3 = 2022–2024
|nationalteam3 = Republic of Ireland U19
|nationalcaps3 = 10
|nationalgoals3 = 4
|nationalyears4 = 2025–
|nationalteam4 = Republic of Ireland U21
|nationalcaps4 = 2
|nationalgoals4 = 0
|club-update = 22:27, 21 March 2025 (UTC)
|ntupdate = 22:40, 24 March 2025 (UTC)
}}
Franco Umeh-Chibueze (born 26 February 2005) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as winger or forward for {{English football updater|CrystalP}} club Crystal Palace.{{cite web|title=Franco Umeh|accessdate=16 July 2024|website=Soccerway|url= https://uk.soccerway.com/players/franco-umeh/793085/}}
Club career
Umeh started his career at Irish club Cork City and signed a professional contract with a €75,000 release clause in 2022. That year, he made his senior debut for the club as a 17-year-old in June 2022 against Longford Town. Umeh joined Crystal Palace in January 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/cork-city-agree-deal-to-sell-teenage-striker-franco-umeh-to-crystal-palace/42321891.html|website=Independent.ie|accessdate=16 July 2024|title= Cork City agree deal to sell teenage striker Franco Umeh to Crystal Palace|first=Daniel|last=McDonnell|date=31 January 2023}} He was part of the Palace U21 team which won the Premier League International Cup, scoring the crucial goal in a 1-0 win over Jong PSV in May 2024.{{cite web|url=https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/its-been-a-rollercoaster-franco-umeh-on-first-full-crystal-palace-season-after-premier-league-international-cup-glory/|website=London News Online|accessdate=16 July 2024|title= 'It's been a rollercoaster' – Franco Umeh on first full Crystal Palace season after Premier League International Cup glory|date=17 May 2024|first=Edmund|last=Brack}} Umeh was called up to the Crystal Palace first team squad on their pre-season tour in the summer of 2024.{{cite web|url= https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/six-highly-rated-crystal-palace-youngsters-set-to-head-off-on-first-team-pre-season-tour/|website=londonnewsonline|title= Six highly-rated Crystal Palace youngsters set to head off on first-team pre-season tour|date=27 July 2024|first=Edmund |last=Brack|access-date=12 August 2024}} He subsequently became a regular member of the first team squad during the early part of the 2024–25 season making the bench for several Premier League matches, but has yet to come off to make his debut.
International career
Since 2021, Umeh has won caps at youth level for the Republic of Ireland from the U17s team through to the U19s. He made his debut for the Republic of Ireland U21 side against Scotland U21 on 21 March 2025, in a 2–0 defeat.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025/0321/1503376-ireland-u21s-slump-to-defeat-against-scots-in-spain/|title=Ireland U21s slump to defeat against Scots in Spain|date=March 21, 2025|via=www.rte.ie}}
Personal life
His brother Jaden currently plays for the Benfica under 19s, but growing up in Ireland they both came through the youth system at Cork City.{{cite web|url= https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-41304676.html|website=Irish Examiner|title= Umeh brothers quickly climbing the Ringmahon wall of fame
|date=9 Jan 2024|accessdate=16 July 2024}}{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/the-cork-brothers-who-dream-of-representing-ireland-together-6344720-Apr2024/|website=the42.ie|accessdate=16 July 2024|title= The Cork brothers who dream of playing for Ireland together|date=7 April 2024}}
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{{efn|Includes FAI Cup & FA Cup}} !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Cork City
|2022 |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Crystal Palace
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
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References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Umeh, Franco}}
Category:Crystal Palace F.C. players