Dele Adebola facts for kids
Adebola pictured in 2008 while at Bristol City
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bamberdele Olusegun Adebola | ||
| Date of birth | 23 June 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ?–1992 | Crewe Alexandra | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–1998 | Crewe Alexandra | 123 | (39) |
| 1993–1994 | → Bangor City (loan) | 4 | (2) |
| 1994 | → Northwich Victoria (loan) | 16 | (7) |
| 1998–2002 | Birmingham City | 129 | (31) |
| 2002 | → Oldham Athletic (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Crystal Palace | 39 | (5) |
| 2003–2008 | Coventry City | 163 | (31) |
| 2004 | → Burnley (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2004 | → Bradford City (loan) | 15 | (3) |
| 2008–2009 | Bristol City | 56 | (16) |
| 2009–2011 | Nottingham Forest | 62 | (5) |
| 2011–2012 | Hull City | 10 | (0) |
| 2012 | → Notts County (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Rochdale | 26 | (6) |
| 2013 | → Wrexham (loan) | 13 | (2) |
| 2013 | Rushall Olympic | ||
| 2024– | Leamington Veterans | ||
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Bamberdele Olusegun Adebola (born June 23, 1975) is a retired footballer from Nigeria. He played as a striker. Throughout his career, he played for 16 different clubs, including loan spells. His longest times were spent at Crewe Alexandra, Birmingham City, and Coventry City.
Contents
Early Life and Football Dreams
Dele Adebola was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He moved to Liverpool, England, as a baby with his family. As a schoolboy, he played football with famous player Robbie Fowler. Adebola supported Liverpool, his hometown team. He was offered a chance to join their youth program. However, he decided to join Crewe Alexandra instead. He thought it would be hard to become a top left-footed striker at Liverpool with Fowler already there.
Dele Adebola's Club Career
Starting Out at Crewe Alexandra
Adebola made his first team debut for Crewe Alexandra in the 1992–93 season. He was only 17 years old. To gain more experience, he played on loan at Bangor City and Northwich Victoria. In the 1996–97 season, he became a key player for Crewe. His 16 goals helped the club get promoted to the First Division.
He quickly showed he could score goals at a higher level. Bigger clubs became interested in him. Crewe turned down an offer from West Ham United. Adebola then made it clear he wanted to leave. In February 1998, he joined Birmingham City for £1 million.
Time at Birmingham City
Adebola had a great start at Birmingham City. He scored seven goals in the rest of that season. In 1998–99, he scored in his first five matches. He finished his first full season with 13 goals. However, in 1999–2000, he scored fewer goals and was put on the transfer list. A move to Las Palmas in Spain didn't happen due to medical reasons.
Even though he was still on the transfer list, he returned to the first team. His goals helped Birmingham reach the 2001 Football League Cup Final. Later that season, a serious knee injury ended his time at Birmingham. He went on loan to Oldham Athletic to get back to full fitness.
Playing for Crystal Palace
In August 2002, Adebola signed a one-year contract with Crystal Palace. He had impressed his former manager, Trevor Francis. He played one season there, showing he was fully fit. He made 48 appearances in all competitions.
Joining Coventry City
After leaving Crystal Palace, Adebola joined Coventry City. He struggled at first and was loaned out to Burnley. He scored one goal in three games for Burnley. Another loan spell followed at Bradford City, where he scored three goals.
His form improved when he returned to Coventry in 2004–05. He played regularly with players like Stern John and Gary McSheffrey.
Moving to Bristol City
On January 30, 2008, Adebola signed an 18-month contract with Bristol City. He scored on his home debut, helping City win 2–1. In the 2008–09 season, he scored 10 goals in 42 games. This earned him the club's Player of the Year award. He turned down a new contract from Bristol City, looking for a longer deal elsewhere.
Time at Nottingham Forest
On June 30, 2009, Adebola signed a two-year contract with Nottingham Forest. He joined them for free. He found it hard to get a regular starting spot at Forest. He often came on as a substitute. He scored a late goal for Forest in a play-off semi-final against Blackpool.
Short Spell at Hull City
Adebola signed a one-year contract with Hull City on June 29, 2011. He made his debut on August 5, 2011. In March 2012, he joined Notts County on loan. He played six league games and scored one goal.
Playing for Rochdale
On August 7, 2012, Adebola signed a one-year deal with Rochdale. He made 26 league appearances for the club. However, when a new manager took over, Adebola was allowed to leave.
Loan to Wrexham
In February 2013, Adebola went on loan to Wrexham. He made his debut on March 2 in a 1–1 draw. Adebola played 13 games for Wrexham, scoring twice. His last game for Wrexham was at Wembley Stadium in the play-off final. Wrexham lost the game, and Adebola was released by Rochdale upon his return.
Later Career
Adebola signed for non-league club Rushall Olympic in August 2013. As of 2024, he plays for a local team called Leamington Veterans. He plays alongside his former Coventry teammate David Busst.
International Football Choices
In March 1998, the manager of the Northern Ireland team wanted Adebola to play for them. Adebola was a British citizen born abroad, so he could play for any of the home countries. He was also chosen for Nigeria's team for the 1998 World Cup, but he didn't make the final squad.
Both Northern Ireland and Nigeria kept trying to get him to play. Adebola said he didn't want to play for Nigeria. He also didn't want to commit to Northern Ireland because he hoped to play for England. Despite his club form, Nigeria still wanted him for the 2000 African Cup of Nations and a World Cup qualifier. However, he never accepted these invitations to play for Nigeria.
Career Statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 1994–95 | Crewe Alexandra | Second Division | 30 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 8 |
| 1995–96 | 30 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 11 | ||
| 1996–97 | 35 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 18 | ||
| 1997–98 | First Division | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 7 | |
| Birmingham City | 17 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 7 | ||
| 1998–99 | 41 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 46 | 17 | ||
| 1999–2000 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 49 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 40 | 12 | ||
| 2001–02 | Oldham Athletic (loan) | Second Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | Crystal Palace | First Division | 39 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 48 | 7 |
| 2003–04 | Coventry City | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 3 | |
| Burnley (loan) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2004–05 | Bradford City (loan) | Championship | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| Coventry City | 25 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | 44 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 12 | ||
| 2006–07 | 40 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 9 | ||
| 2007–08 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 6 | ||
| Bristol City | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 | 39 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | Nottingham Forest | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 4 | |
| 2010–11 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 3 | ||
| 2011–12 | Hull City | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | England | 611 | 133 | 33 | 8 | 37 | 15 | 681 | 156 | |
| Career total | 611 | 133 | 33 | 8 | 37 | 15 | 681 | 156 | ||
Honours and Achievements
Crewe Alexandra
- Football League Second Division play-offs: 1997 (Promoted to a higher league)
Birmingham City
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2000–01 (Reached the final of a major cup competition)
See also
In Spanish: Dele Adebola para niños
