Zach Awe
{{Short description|English association football player (born 2004)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}{{Infobox football biography
| name = Zach Awe
| fullname = Zachariah Olumide Ebunoluwa Awe{{cite web |title=Aspire Academy Tri-Series Season 2015–16 |url=https://www.aspire.qa/docs/TRI-SERIES-Yearbook-2015-2016.pdf |website=Aspire Academy |access-date=8 March 2025}}
| birth_place = Greenwich, England
| height = {{convert|1.92|m|order=flip}}{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/67217/Zach-Awe/overview |title=Zach Awe Southampton Defender, Profile & Stats |publisher=Premier League |access-date=13 April 2025}}
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|01|09|df=y}}
| position = Defender
| currentclub = Southampton
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2012–2023
| youthclubs1 = Arsenal
| youthyears2 = 2023–2024
| youthclubs2 = Southampton
| years1 = 2024–
| clubs1 = Southampton
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2024–2025
| clubs2 = → Accrington Stanley (loan)
| caps2 = 21
| goals2 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2019–2020
| nationalteam1 = England U16
| nationalcaps1 = 9
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = 08:00, 5 January 2025 (UTC)
| ntupdate =
}}
Zachariah Olumide Ebunoluwa Awe (born 9 January 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for {{English football updater|Southamp}} club Southampton. He is an England youth international.{{cite web|title=Zach Awe|website=Soccerway|date=9 August 2023|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/zach-awe/629200/}}
Club career
Awe spent eleven years in the youth ranks at Arsenal.{{cite web|url=https://www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/transfer-news/zach-awe-southampton-transfer-arsenal-8662365.amp|website=Hampshire Live|accessdate=9 August 2023|title= Zach Awe's first words as Southampton complete transfer for Arsenal centre-back|date=8 August 2023|first=Mark|last=Wyatt}} He made appearances in the EFL Trophy for Arsenal, and was included in match-day squads for the first team, and was an unused substitute in the Premier League without making a first team debut.{{Cite web |last=Begley |first=Emlyn |date=10 February 2022 |title=Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 Arsenal |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60239159 |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=BBC Sport}} He joined Southampton in August 2023, despite being offered new terms by his hometown club, signing a three-year contract, initially joining the Under-21's for the 2023–24 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/23691085.amp/|website=Daily Echo|accessdate=9 August 2023|date=8 August 2023|title= Southampton complete signing of promising former Arsenal defender|first=Alfie|last=House}}{{cite web|url= https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4731095/2023/07/29/arsenal-zach-awe-southampton/|website=The Athletic|access-date=9 August 2023|title= Former Arsenal defender Zach Awe to join Southampton|first=Jordan|last=Campbell|date=29 July 2023}}{{Cite web |date=8 August 2023 |title=Saints confirm Zach Awe signing |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/saints-confirm-zach-awe-signing |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=Southampton FC}}
On 4 July 2024, Awe joined League Two club Accrington Stanley on a season-long loan.{{Cite web |date=4 July 2024 |title=Zach Awe joins Accrington on loan |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/zach-awe-joins-accrington-on-loan |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=Southampton FC}} He made his debut for the club on 10 August 2024 in a 4–1 defeat against Doncaster Rovers.{{Cite web |date=10 August 2024 |title=Doncaster Rovers 4–1 Accrington Stanley |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cx2ele9rxg0t |access-date=10 August 2024 |website=BBC Sport}} On 8 October 2024, Awe received a red card during a 2–1 defeat against Tranmere Rovers in the EFL Trophy.{{Cite web |date=8 October 2024 |title=Tranmere Rovers 2–1 Accrington Stanley |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c0lw9k62gnnt?page=3 |access-date=12 October 2024 |website=BBC Sport}}{{Cite web |title=REPORT: Tranmere Rovers 2 Stanley 1 |url=https://www.accringtonstanley.co.uk/news/2024/october/08/report-tranmere-rovers-v-stanley/ |access-date=12 October 2024 |website=Accrington Stanley FC}} He scored his first goal for the club on 9 November 2024 in a 3–0 away victory against Chesterfield.{{Cite web |date=9 November 2024 |title=Chesterfield 0–3 Accrington Stanley |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c74lzl4732vt |access-date=11 November 2024 |website=BBC Sport}} On 3 February 2025, Awe was recalled from loan and returned to Southampton after he suffered an injury in January.{{Cite web |date=3 February 2025 |title=O'Brien-Whitmarsh joins Accrington on loan as Awe recalled |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/obrien-whitmarsh-joins-accrington-on-loan-as-awe-recalled |access-date=3 February 2025 |website=Southampton FC}}
International career
Awe made his debut playing for the England U-16 side in August 2019.{{cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2019/08/18/world/under-16-friendlies/england-u16/denmark-u16/3370659/|website=Soccerway|accessdate=9 August 2023|title= ENGLAND U16 VS. DENMARK U16 2 - 0|date=18 August 2019}} In September 2023 he was called up to the England U-20 side.{{cite web|website=Daily Echo|accessdate=6 September 2023|first=George|last=Rees-Julian|date=5 September 2023|title=Southampton defender receives late call up to England youth team squad|url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/23768206.southampton-defender-receives-late-call-england-youth-team-squad/}}
Style of play
He has been described as a ball-playing central defender, comfortable with the ball at his feet and capable of playing out from the back.{{cite web|url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-contract-rebel-discussed-leicester-8556365.amp|website=Leicester Mercury|accessdate=9 August 2023|date=27 June 2023|first=Luke|last=Rawley|title= Arsenal contract rebel 'discussed' by Leicester City as free transfer looms}}
Personal life
Born in Greenwich, London,{{cite web|url=https://www.arsenal.com/historic/players/zach-awe|website=Arsenal.com|accessdate=9 August 2023|title=Zach Awe}} he has Nigerian and St Lucian heritage.{{cite web|url=https://thestreetjournal.org/who-is-zach-awe-18-year-old-nigerian-defender-who-made-arsenals-bench-against-wolves/|date=February 11, 2022|title=Who is Zach Awe? 18 Year Old Nigerian Defender Who Made Arsenal's Bench Against Wolves |website=thestreetjournal.org|accessdate=9 August 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=48393|website=allnigeriasoccer.com|accessdate=9 August 2023|title= Official: Flying Eagles-eligible CB joins Southampton after release by Arsenal |date=8 August 2023}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 11 January 2025}}
| 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 |
| Southampton
|2024–25{{soccerbase season|149195|2024|access-date=10 August 2024}} |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Accrington Stanley (loan)
|21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2{{efn|Appearances in EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| colspan=3|Total
!21||1||3||0||1||0||2||0||27||1 |
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References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Awe, Zach}}
Category:Footballers from the Royal Borough of Greenwich
Category:People from Greenwich
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Southampton F.C. players
Category:Accrington Stanley F.C. players