Sone Aluko facts for kids
Aluko with Aberdeen in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Omatsone Folarin Aluko | ||
| Date of birth | 19 February 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Hounslow, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward, winger | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Ipswich Town (coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2007 | Birmingham City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Birmingham City | 0 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | → Aberdeen (loan) | 20 | (3) |
| 2008 | → Blackpool (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Aberdeen | 82 | (7) |
| 2011–2012 | Rangers | 21 | (12) |
| 2012–2016 | Hull City | 90 | (13) |
| 2016–2017 | Fulham | 49 | (8) |
| 2017–2021 | Reading | 93 | (6) |
| 2019 | → Beijing Renhe (loan) | 16 | (3) |
| 2021–2024 | Ipswich Town | 46 | (3) |
| Total | 417 | (55) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2005 | England U16 | 4 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | England U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2006 | England U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | England U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2009 | Nigeria U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 2011 | Nigeria U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 2009–2015 | Nigeria | 7 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 March 2024 (UTC) | |||
Omatsone Folarin Aluko (born 19 February 1989) is a professional football coach and former player. He played as a forward or winger. Sone is currently a first team coach at Ipswich Town.
Aluko started his career at Birmingham City. He joined their youth academy at age eight. He made his first team debut in 2007. He then played on loan for Aberdeen and Blackpool. In August 2008, he signed permanently with Aberdeen.
After leaving Aberdeen in 2011, Aluko joined Rangers. He scored 12 goals in 21 games during the 2011–12 season. He then moved to Hull City. He played over 100 games for Hull. He helped them get promoted to the Premier League in 2013. He also reached the 2014 FA Cup Final with Hull.
Later, he played for Fulham and Reading. He made over 100 appearances for Reading. He also spent time on loan at Beijing Renhe in China. In August 2021, he joined Ipswich Town. He retired from playing football in May 2024.
Sone Aluko was born in England. He played for England's youth teams up to under-19 level. Later, he chose to play for Nigeria. He represented Nigeria at under-20 and under-23 levels. He made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2009. His sister, Eniola Aluko, is also a famous former professional footballer. She played for England and Juventus.
Contents
Sone Aluko's Football Journey
Early Days at Birmingham City
Sone Aluko was born in Hounslow, London. He grew up in Birmingham. He joined Birmingham City's youth system when he was eight. He was given a first-team squad number in the 2005–06 season. He made his first team debut on 28 August 2007. This was in a League Cup match against Hereford United.
Loan to Aberdeen
In August 2007, Aluko joined Aberdeen in Scotland on loan. He played his first game for Aberdeen in a UEFA Cup match. This was against Panathinaikos on 25 October 2007. He scored his first goal for Aberdeen the next week. It was in a 2–0 win against Dundee United. His loan was extended for the rest of the season. On 14 February 2008, he scored against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup. He scored 4 goals in 31 games during his loan.
Short Loan at Blackpool
Aluko then joined Blackpool on a short loan in August 2008. He made his debut on 9 August. He played two games for Blackpool before returning to Birmingham City.
Permanent Move to Aberdeen
On 1 September 2008, Aluko returned to Aberdeen permanently. He signed a three-year contract. He scored his first goal after rejoining in a 1–0 win against Kilmarnock. He won the SPL Young Player of the Month award for November 2008. He played 37 games and scored 4 goals in the 2008–09 season.
He continued to be a key player for Aberdeen. In the 2009–10 season, he scored 3 goals in 26 games. In the 2010–11 season, he scored his first goal on 15 February. This was in a 1–2 loss against Motherwell. He scored again in the next game, a 5–0 win against Kilmarnock. He left Aberdeen in July 2011 when his contract ended.
Time at Rangers
After leaving Aberdeen, Aluko had a trial with Juventus. Then he went on trial at Rangers. Rangers were impressed and signed him on 24 November 2011. He made his Rangers debut on 27 November. He scored his first goal for Rangers on 2 January. This was in a 3–0 win against Motherwell.
On 25 March 2012, Aluko scored the first goal in a 3–2 win against Celtic. He scored his first hat-trick on the last day of the season. This was in Rangers' 4–0 win at St Johnstone. He scored 12 goals in 23 games that season. This was his best goal-scoring season so far.
Joining Hull City
2012–13 Season: Promotion Success
On 25 July 2012, Aluko signed a two-year deal with Hull City. He made his debut on 18 August. On 1 September 2012, he scored his first goal for Hull. This was against Bolton Wanderers. He scored again in the next game against Millwall. On 2 October, he scored a great goal from 20 yards out against Blackpool.
He scored again against Bristol City and Barnsley. He made it three goals in three games against Wolverhampton Wanderers. On 17 November, he scored twice against his old club Birmingham City. This made it five goals in five games for him. In November 2012, Aluko got an Achilles injury. He had surgery and was out for a few months. He scored 8 goals in 24 games that season. He helped Hull win promotion to the Premier League. They finished second in the Championship.
2013–14 Season: Premier League Debut
Aluko played his first Premier League game on 18 August. This was against Chelsea. His first goal of the season was a "stunning volley". It was the winning goal in a 3–2 victory against Newcastle United. In November, he tore his Achilles again. He signed a new contract with Hull on 3 January 2014. On 17 May 2014, he played in the 2014 FA Cup Final against Arsenal.
2014–15 Season: Europa League and Relegation
Aluko's first game of the 2014–15 season was in the UEFA Europa League. He scored his first goal of the season in the second leg against AS Trenčín. It was an 80th-minute winner. His first Premier League goal came on 3 December. It was an equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Everton. He scored twice in 31 games that season. Hull was relegated from the Premier League.
2015–16 Season: Back to the Premier League
He continued to play regularly for Hull. He scored a late winner against Fulham on 19 August. His next goal was in March against Nottingham Forest. Hull finished 4th in the league. They won the Championship play-off final. This meant they were promoted back to the Premier League. Aluko left the club in June 2016.
Moving to Fulham
On 8 July 2016, Aluko joined Fulham on a free transfer. He signed a two-year deal. He made his debut in a 1–0 win over Newcastle United. On 13 August 2016, he scored his first goal for Fulham. It was in a 2–1 win against Preston North End. He became a key player, starting 44 league games. He made 50 appearances and scored 9 goals. Fulham reached the play-offs but lost to Reading.
He started Fulham's first four league games of the 2017–18 season. Then he left to join Reading.
Playing for Reading
On 29 August 2017, Aluko joined Reading. He signed a four-year deal. He made his Reading debut on 9 September. He scored his first goal on 31 October. This was in a 3–1 win against Nottingham Forest. He scored again in the next game against Derby County. On 30 March, he scored the winning goal against Rotherham United. He scored 3 goals in 40 games in his first season.
He played less often in his second season. He made 20 appearances and scored once.
Loan to Beijing Renhe
On 26 February 2019, Aluko went on loan to Beijing Renhe in China. He played 16 games in the Chinese Super League. He scored 3 goals during his loan.
Return to Reading
After returning from China, he played for Reading again. He struggled to get regular playing time in the second half of the 2019–20 season. He made 6 appearances, with only 2 in the league.
He worked his way back into the team for the 2020–21 season. He scored his first goal of the season on 21 November. This was in a 2–4 loss against Bournemouth. He scored twice in 36 games that season. Reading released him when his contract ended in 2021.
Final Years at Ipswich Town
Aluko joined Ipswich Town on 6 August 2021. He signed a one-year contract. He made his debut on 10 August. On 16 October 2021, he scored his first goals for Ipswich. He scored two goals in a 2–2 draw against Cambridge United. Three days later, he scored again in a 4–0 win against Portsmouth.
He became an important player for Ipswich. He was the most senior player in the team. He even captained the team in some cup matches. His manager, Kieran McKenna, praised him for helping younger players. On 26 April 2022, he extended his contract until 2023. He made 36 appearances that season. After helping Ipswich get promoted back to the Premier League, Aluko announced his retirement from football on 6 May 2024.
International Career
Playing for England Youth Teams
Aluko played for England at under-16, under-17, and under-18 levels. He made his debut for the England under-19 team on 11 September 2007. This was in a friendly game against Belarus under-19.
Representing Nigeria
Aluko was chosen for the Nigeria under-20 team in 2009. He played in games at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.
He was called up to the Nigerian national team for a friendly game. This was against the Republic of Ireland on 29 May 2009. He made his full international debut in this game. He was also in the provisional squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
He scored his first goals for Nigeria on 19 November 2014. This was against South Africa in a 2–2 draw. These goals were in the qualifying round for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Family Life
Sone Aluko's older sister is Eniola Aluko. She is a former footballer. She played for England over 100 times. She played in two World Cup quarter-finals. She also played for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics. His father, Gbenga Aluko, was a politician in Nigeria.
Career Highlights
Sone Aluko achieved several notable things during his career:
- Hull City
- Runner-up in the Football League Championship in 2012–13.
- Runner-up in the FA Cup in 2013–14.
- Ipswich Town
- Runner-up in EFL League One in 2022–23.
- Runner-up in the EFL Championship in 2023–24.
- Individual Awards
- Scottish Premier League Young Player of the Month: November 2008.
- EFL Championship Player of the Month: November 2012, October 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Sone Aluko para niños
