Carl Ikeme facts for kids
Ikeme playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carl Onora Ikeme | ||
| Date of birth | 8 June 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Sutton Coldfield, England | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2018 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 191 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Accrington Stanley (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Stockport County (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Charlton Athletic (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Sheffield United (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Leicester City (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Middlesbrough (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2012 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 256 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2015–2016 | Nigeria | 10 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Carl Onora Ikeme, born on June 8, 1986, is a former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper.
Carl spent his whole career playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, also known as Wolves. He played in 207 games for them. He helped his team win the Championship in 2009 and League One in 2014. He also played one game in the top league, the Premier League, in 2012.
During his time at Wolves, Carl was loaned to eight other clubs to get more playing experience. He was born and grew up in England. However, he chose to play for the Nigeria international team. He played 10 games for Nigeria between 2015 and 2016.
In July 2017, Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with acute leukaemia. This is a serious type of blood cancer. A year later, in 2018, he was in "complete remission", meaning the cancer was gone. He then decided to retire from football.
Contents
Carl Ikeme's Football Journey
Starting at Wolves
Carl Ikeme grew up in the Wolverhampton Wanderers youth academy. He joined the first team squad during the 2003–04 Premier League season. He was often a substitute player but did not get to play in a game yet.
To gain experience, Carl went on a one-month loan to Accrington Stanley in October 2004. He played his first senior game on October 16, keeping a clean sheet. This means the other team did not score any goals.
Carl finally played his first game for Wolves in the next season. It was a 5–1 win against Chester City in the League Cup in August 2005. He also went on another loan to Stockport County in late 2005. This loan ended early because he hurt his hand.
In August 2006, he played his first league game for Wolves. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 win against Luton Town.
Injuries and Loan Spells
Carl had a knee injury during the 2006–07 season. He needed surgery and was out of action until late 2007. After he got better, he mostly played in reserve team games.
In September 2008, he got a chance to play for Wolves again. This was because the main goalkeeper, Wayne Hennessey, was suspended. Carl played many games for Wolves. However, another injury stopped him from playing for the rest of the season. That season, Wolves won the Championship title and moved up to the Premier League.
After getting fit again, Carl went on several loan spells to other clubs.
- In October 2009, he joined Charlton Athletic for a month.
- He then went to Sheffield United but a hamstring injury cut his stay short.
- In January 2010, he played 17 games for Queens Park Rangers.
- In August 2010, he joined Leicester City for a short time.
- In August 2011, he went to Middlesbrough and played 10 games. He kept six clean sheets there.
- He also had two loan spells at Doncaster Rovers in 2011 and 2012.
Back as Wolves' Main Goalkeeper
Carl Ikeme played his first game for Wolves since January 2009 on the last day of the 2011–12 season. He came on as a substitute in a game against Wigan Athletic.
For the 2012–13 season, Carl became Wolves' main goalkeeper. This was because other goalkeepers were injured. In March 2013, he accidentally scored an own goal during a game. He was so upset that he broke his hand by punching a tactics board. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. Wolves were then moved down to League One.
Carl kept his position as the main goalkeeper for Wolves in the 2013–14 season. He played very well, especially in a 3–0 win against Colchester United. In that game, he saved a penalty. He broke his hand again in January 2014.
After he recovered, he returned to the team as the clear first-choice goalkeeper. He helped Wolves win the League One title. He kept 22 clean sheets that season. Because of his great performance, he was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year.
Back in the Championship for the 2014–15 season, Carl continued to play well. He kept five clean sheets in the first eight games. He also saved another penalty in a 1–0 win against Bolton Wanderers.
During the 2016–17 season, Carl signed a new contract with Wolves until 2020. He received his first red card in a game against Norwich City for pushing an opponent. His suspension was later reduced from three games to two.
Facing Illness and Retirement
On July 6, 2017, Wolves announced that Carl Ikeme had been diagnosed with acute leukaemia. This news came after he had some unusual blood test results during a routine check-up. Carl could not play football while he was getting treatment. Even though he was not playing, Wolves won the Championship title and returned to the Premier League that season.
On June 23, 2018, Carl shared the good news that he was in "complete remission". This meant his cancer was gone after a difficult year of chemotherapy. On July 27, 2018, he announced his retirement from football due to his health.
To honor Carl, the team's new goalkeeper, Rui Patrício, chose to wear the number 11 jersey instead of the number 1. The number 1 jersey was left empty to show respect for Carl Ikeme.
Playing for Nigeria
Carl Ikeme was born in England but could play for either England or Nigeria. He chose to play for Nigeria. He was first called up to the Nigerian national team, known as the "Super Eagles," in March 2007.
He played his first international game for Nigeria on September 5, 2015. It was a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification game against Tanzania. Carl played in three games during Nigeria's successful journey to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, he could not go to the World Cup because of his cancer treatment. The Nigerian manager, Gernot Rohr, said this was his biggest regret.
Carl's Life Outside Football
Carl Ikeme also practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This is a martial art. He has earned a blue belt in it. He has also won the British Open and a bronze medal at the IBJJF European Championship.
Honours and Awards
Carl Ikeme achieved several important honours during his career:
With Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Football League Championship: 2008–09
- Football League One: 2013–14
Individual Awards
- Football League One Team of the Season: 2013–14
- PFA Team of the Year: 2013–14 League One
Images for kids
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Ikeme playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2014
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Ikeme playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2012
See also
In Spanish: Carl Ikeme para niños
