Justin Shaibu
{{Short description|Danish footballer (born 1997)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Justin Shaibu
| image =
| caption =
| full_name = Justin Kwabena Shaibu{{Cite web |title=Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2018: Brentford |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/efl-documents/efl-professional-retain-list--free-transfers---2017-18.pdf |access-date=16 June 2018 |publisher=English Football League |page=8}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|10|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Copenhagen, Denmark{{Soccerbase}}
| position = Forward
| currentclub = BK Frem
| clubnumber = 13
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2012
| youthclubs1 = Vallensbæk IF
| youthyears2 = 2012–2014
| youthclubs2 = HB Køge
| years1 = 2014–2016
| clubs1 = HB Køge
| caps1 = 20
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2016–2020
| clubs2 = Brentford
| caps2 = 6
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2018
| clubs3 = → Walsall (loan)
| caps3 = 14
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2018–2019
| clubs4 = → Boreham Wood (loan)
| caps4 = 40
| goals4 = 9
| years5 = 2019–2020
| clubs5 = → Boreham Wood (loan)
| caps5 = 30
| goals5 = 5
| years6 = 2020–2021
| clubs6 = Fredericia
| caps6 = 8
| goals6 = 2
| years7 = 2021
| clubs7 = Lyngby
| caps7 = 6
| goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2021–2022
| clubs8 = Hobro
| caps8 = 13
| goals8 = 2
| years9 = 2022–2023
| clubs9 = Hillerød
| caps9 = 12
| goals9 = 1
| years10 = 2025–
| clubs10 = BK Frem
| caps10 = 11
| goals10 = 2
| nationalyears1 = 2014
| nationalteam1 = Denmark U17
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2014–2015
| nationalteam2 = Denmark U18
| nationalcaps2 = 7
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| nationalyears3 = 2017
| nationalteam3 = Denmark U20
| nationalcaps3 = 2
| nationalgoals3 = 1
| club-update = 22:03, 17 June 2025 (UTC)
}}
Justin Kwabena Shaibu (born 28 October 1997) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Danish 2nd Division club BK Frem.
Shaibu began his senior career at HB Køge and transferred to English club Brentford in 2016. After spending four years on the fringes and away on loan, he returned to Denmark and began a nomadic career with a succession of lower league clubs. Shaibu was capped by Denmark at youth level.
Club career
= HB Køge =
A forward, Shaibu began his career at Vallensbæk IF, before joining the academy at Danish 1st Division club HB Køge at the age of 14.{{Cite web |title=HB Køge sælger Justin Shaibu til Brentford F.C. |url=http://hbkoge.dk/Default.aspx?ID=47&Action=1&NewsId=6528&PID=150 |access-date=18 July 2016}} He won his maiden call into the first team squad for a league match versus Horsens on 31 August 2014 and went on to make 9 appearances during the 2014–15 season. Shaibu won the club's Talent of the Year award for the 2014 calendar year.{{Cite web |title=Justin Shaibu kåret til Årets Talent |url=http://hbkoge.dk/Default.aspx?ID=47&Action=1&NewsId=5327&PID=150 |access-date=19 July 2017}} Shaibu played predominantly for the U19 team during 2015–16 and in a season disrupted by injuries he still managed 12 first team appearances and was rewarded with a new three-year contract midway through the campaign.{{Cite web |title=HB Køge forlænger med Brøndby-emne |date=12 November 2015 |url=http://www.tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/superliga/hb-koege-forlaenger-med-broendby-emne |access-date=18 July 2016}} He departed the Herfølge Stadion in July 2016, having made 23 appearances in two seasons.
= Brentford =
On 18 July 2016, Shaibu moved to England to sign a two-year B team contract at Championship club Brentford for an undisclosed fee,{{Cite web |title=Brentford sign Danish Youth International striker Justin Shaibu |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/brentford-sign-danish-youth-international-justin-shaibu_67534 |access-date=18 July 2016}} reported to be £40,000.{{Cite news |last=Aarons |first=Ed |date=5 April 2017 |title=Why Brentford ditched their academy in favour of developing Premier League outcasts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/apr/05/brentford-ditched-their-academy-premier-league-outcasts?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other |access-date=5 April 2017 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} He received his maiden call into the first team squad as a substitute for an EFL Cup first round match versus Exeter City on 9 August 2016 and made his debut when he replaced Emmanuel Ledesma in extra time during the eventual 1–0 defeat.{{soccerbase season|94671|2016|access-date=10 August 2016}} After five goals in 12 appearances for the B team over the following six months, a lack of fit recognised forwards at the club meant that Shaibu made a minor breakthrough into the first team squad between February and April 2017 and he made four substitute appearances, before an ankle injury ended his season.{{Cite news |title=Summer Medical and Performance updates from Neil Greig |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/summer-medical-and-performance-updates-from-neil-greig_176098 |access-date=15 June 2017 |work=Brentford FC |language=en}} He scored 10 goals in 18 B team appearances during the 2016–17 season and signed a new three-year contract on 5 May 2017,{{Cite news |title="Hopefully this will be the first of many" |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/hopefully-this-will-be-the-first-of-many_193672 |access-date=9 August 2017 |work=Brentford FC |language=en-gb}}{{Cite news |title=Brentford striker Justin Shaibu Signs New Three-Year Deal |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/justin-shaibu-signs-new-three-year-deal_162480 |access-date=7 May 2017 |language=en}} which saw him promoted into the first team squad for the 2017–18 season.{{Cite news |title=Robert Rowan: B Team Season Review |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/robert-rowan-b-team-season-review_168881 |access-date=24 May 2017 |work=Brentford FC |language=en}}
Shaibu's first appearance of the 2017–18 season came in an EFL Cup first round match versus AFC Wimbledon on 8 August 2017 and his entry onto the pitch during extra time was the first occasion that a fourth substitute had been utilised by Brentford in a competitive fixture.{{soccerbase season|94671|2017|access-date=8 August 2017}} In the final minutes, he scored the first senior goal of his career to seal a 3–1 victory and the strike made him the first-ever fourth substitute to score in a competitive match in England.{{Cite news |title=Stats Zone: QPR |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/stats-zone-qpr_198309 |access-date=22 August 2017 |work=Brentford FC |language=en-gb}} Shaibu continued in a substitute role, making four further appearances, before dropping out of the squad in October 2017 due to injuries.{{Cite news |title=Justin Shaibu heads to Walsall on loan |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/justin-shaibu-heads-to-walsall-on-loan_245356 |access-date=29 January 2018 |work=Brentford FC |language=en-gb}}
From January 2018 onwards, Shaibu spent the remainder of his contract away on loan. He played the second half of the 2017–18 season on loan at League One club Walsall, for whom he failed to score in 14 appearances. He spent the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons on loan at National League club Boreham Wood,{{Cite news |date=6 August 2018 |title=International talent signs at Meadow Park |url=https://www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk/uncategorized/international-talent-signs-at-meadow-park/ |access-date=6 August 2018 |work=Boreham Wood Football Club |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Justin Shaibu joins Boreham Wood on season-long loan |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2019/july/justin-shaibu-loan-boreham-wood/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729154532/https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2019/july/justin-shaibu-loan-boreham-wood/ |archive-date=29 July 2019 |access-date=29 July 2019 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}} for whom he made 83 appearances and scored 18 goals during his two loans with the club. Shaibu was released by Brentford in June 2020,{{Cite web |title=Nine players depart Brentford FC |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2020/july/nine-players-released-by-brentford-fc/ |access-date=6 July 2020 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}} after making 10 appearances and scoring one goal during four years at Griffin Park.{{Soccerbase}}
=Fredericia=
On 16 October 2020, Shaibu signed a contract until the end of the 2020–21 season with Danish 1st Division club Fredericia.{{Cite web |date=16 October 2020 |title=FC Fredericia skriver kontrakt med Justin Shaibu |url=https://fcfredericia.dk/nyheder/2020/fc-fredericia-skriver-kontrakt-med-justin-shaibu/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020224837/https://fcfredericia.dk/nyheder/2020/fc-fredericia-skriver-kontrakt-med-justin-shaibu/ |archive-date=20 October 2020 |access-date=17 October 2020 |website=FC Fredericia |language=da-DK}} He made eight appearances and scored two goals before departing the club on 1 February 2021.{{Cite web |last=Maimann |first=Kristian |date=February 2021 |title=Lyngby Boldklub henter Justin Shaibu |url=https://lyngby-boldklub.dk/2021/02/01/lyngby-boldklub-henter-justin-shaibu/ |access-date=1 February 2021 |website=Lyngby Boldklub |language=da-DK}}
=Lyngby=
On 1 February 2021, Shaibu joined Superliga club Lyngby on a contract running until the end of the 2020–21 season, with an option for one further year. He made six appearances during the remainder of a season which ended with relegation to the 1st Division and departed when his contract expired.{{Cite web |title=Summary – Superliga – Denmark – Results, fixtures, tables and news |url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/denmark/superliga/20202021/relegation-round/r59255/ |access-date=4 June 2021 |website=Soccerway}}{{Cite web |last=Andersen |first=Patrick Viborg |date=17 July 2021 |title=FC Fredericia tabte den sidste testkamp |url=https://fredericiaavisen.dk/fc-fredericia-tabte-den-sidste-testkamp/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718111645/https://fredericiaavisen.dk/fc-fredericia-tabte-den-sidste-testkamp/ |archive-date=18 July 2021 |access-date=18 July 2021 |website=Avisen |language=da-DK}}
=Hobro=
On 8 August 2021, Shaibu signed a one-year contract with 1st Division club Hobro on a free transfer.{{Cite web |date=8 August 2021 |title=Hobro IK henter Justin Shaibu |url=https://hobroik.dk/hobro-ik-henter-justin-shaibu/ |access-date=8 August 2021 |website=hobroik.dk |language=da-DK}} He made 13 appearances and scored two goals during an injury-affected 2021–22 season.{{Cite web |last=Jasper |first=Thomas |date=18 March 2022 |title=Formstærke Hobro bliver formentlig forstærket i nedrykningsslagsmål |url=https://nordjyske.dk/nyheder/sport/formstaerke-hobro-bliver-formentlig-forstaerket-i-nedrykningsslagsmaal/d1d94293-cf6c-4289-8e42-3fae846642bd |access-date=30 May 2022 |website=www.nordjyske.dk |language=da}} Following his departure from the club, he played a period of the 2022–23 pre-season on trial with FC Helsingør, but did not win a contract.{{Cite web |last=Hussing |first=Mads |date=8 September 2022 |title=Ny mand i front for Hillerød Fodbold |url=https://www.sn.dk/hilleroed-kommune/ny-mand-i-front-for-hilleroed-fodbold/ |access-date=9 September 2022 |website=Sjællandske Nyheder |language=da-DK}}
= Hillerød =
On 8 September 2022, Shaibu signed a short-term contract with 1st Division club Hillerød on a free transfer. Following six appearances prior to the winter break, Shaibu signed a contract extension until the end of the 2022–23 season,{{Cite web |last=Gabriel |first=Cecilie |date=19 January 2023 |title=Justin Shaibu forlænger til sommer |url=https://www.hfelite.dk/nyheder/justin-shaibu-forlaenger-til-sommer/ |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=HF Elite |language=da-DK}} with an option to extend.{{Cite web |last=Gyimah |first=Edmund Okai |date=7 June 2023 |title=FC Hillerod release Ghanaian forward Justin Shaibu |url=https://sportsworldghana.com/fc-hillerod-release-ghanaian-forward-justin-shaibu/ |access-date=13 June 2023 |website=SportsWorldGhana.com |language=en-US}} He finished the season with 12 appearances and one goal, scored in a 2–0 win over Fredericia on 19 February 2023. Shaibu departed when the club neglected to take up the option on his contract.
= BK Frem =
After recovering from an extended period injured, Shaibu began training with 2nd Division club BK Frem in November 2024.{{Cite web |last=Due |first=Jimmy |date=14 February 2025 |title=Ny offensiv styrke til Frem: Velkommen Justin Shaibu |url=https://bkfrem.dk/ny-offensiv-styrke-til-frem-velkommen-justin-shaibu/ |access-date=9 March 2025 |website=BK Frem |language=da-DK}} He was announced as a player for the club on 14 February 2025. Shaibu made 11 appearances and scored two goals during the remainder of a 2024–25 season that culminated in relegation to the 3rd Division.{{Cite web |date=15 June 2025 |title=Frem må en tur ned |url=https://bkfrem.dk/frem-maa-en-tur-ned/ |access-date=17 June 2025 |website=BK Frem |language=da-DK}}
International career
Shaibu won 11 caps and scored two goals for Denmark across U17, U18 and U20 levels.{{DBU player|id=7435}}
Playing style
Shaibu stated that he likes "to think I play like Romelu Lukaku. I have got great pace, a lot of energy, a lot of power and I am a great finisher".{{Cite web |last=Brett |first=Ciaran |title=Justin Shaibu reacts to joining Brentford B |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/justin-shaibu-honoured-and-proud-to-join-brentford-b_67540 |access-date=18 July 2016}}
Personal life
Shaibu is of Ghanaian descent through his parents.{{Cite web |date=17 December 2018 |title=Brentford loanee Justin Shaibu hits hat-trick to power Boreham to FA Trophy |url=https://ghanasportsonline.com/2018/12/brentford-loanee-justin-shaibu-hits-hat-trick-to-power-boreham-to-fa-trophy/ |access-date=12 January 2019 |website=Ghana Sports Online |language=en-US}}
Career statistics
{{Updated|match played 14 June 2025}}
| style="text-align: center;" class="wikitable"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |National cup{{efn|Includes FA Cup}} ! colspan="2" |League cup{{efn|Includes EFL Cup}} ! colspan="2" |Other ! colspan="2" |Total | ||||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
!Apps !Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="3" |HB Køge
|2014–15{{Soccerway|id=367157|access-date=18 July 2016}} |8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|—
| colspan="2" |— | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16
|Danish 1st Division |12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|—
| colspan="2" |— | 14 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|—
! colspan="2" |— | 23 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Brentford
|4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017–18
|Championship |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1
| colspan="2" |— | 5 | 1 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1
! colspan="2" |— | 10 | 1 | |
| Walsall (loan)
|14 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|—
| colspan="2" |— | 14 | 0 | |||
| Boreham Wood (loan)
|40 |9 |3 |1 | colspan="2" |— |63 appearances in Herts Senior Cup, 2 appearances and 3 goals in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup |3 |49 |13 | ||||||||
| rowspan="2" |Boreham Wood (loan)
|National League |30 |5 |1 |0 | colspan="2" |— |32 appearances in National League play-offs, 1 appearance in FA Trophy |0 |34 |5 | ||||||||
| colspan="2" |Total
!70 !14 !4 !1 ! colspan="2" |— !9 !3 !83 !18 | ||||||||
| Fredericia
|Danish 1st Division |8 |2 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |8 |2 | ||||||||
| Lyngby
|6 |0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |6 |0 | ||||||||
| Hobro
|Danish 1st Division |13 |2 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |13 |2 | ||||||||
| Hillerød
|Danish 1st Division |12 |1 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |12 |1 | ||||||||
| BK Frem
|2024–25{{Unbulleted list citebundle | For 2024–25 regular season appearances, see {{Cite web |title=Stillinger og resultater |url=https://www.dbu.dk/resultater/hold/20273_445004/kampprogram |access-date=22 February 2025 |website=DBU |language=DA}} | For 2024–25 relegation group appearances, see {{Cite web |title=Stillinger og resultater |url=https://www.dbu.dk/resultater/hold/20273_468765/kampprogram |access-date=3 May 2025 |website=DBU |language=DA}}}} |11 |2 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |11 |2 | ||||||||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!160 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1
!9 !3 | 180 | 26 |
Honours
Boreham Wood
- Herts Senior Cup: 2018–19{{Cite web |title=24.04.2019 at 19:45 Broughinge Road |url=http://www.saintsstatistics.co.uk/saintsstats/matchdetails.php?id=5051 |access-date=25 December 2019 |website=St Albans City F.C. Statistics}}
Individual
- HB Køge Talent of the Year: 2014
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
- {{DBU player|id=7435}}
- [https://bkfrem.dk/spiller/justin-shaibu/ Justin Shaibu] at bkfrem.dk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaibu, Justin}}
Category:Danish men's footballers
Category:Danish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Denmark men's youth international footballers
Category:Footballers from Copenhagen
Category:Danish people of Ghanaian descent
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Brentford F.C. players
Category:Boreham Wood F.C. players
Category:FC Fredericia players
Category:Lyngby Boldklub players
Category:Danish Superliga players
Category:English Football League players
Category:National League (English football) players
Category:Danish 1st Division players
Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Hillerød Fodbold players
Category:21st-century Danish sportsmen