Caleb Okoli

Last updated

Caleb Okoli
Personal information
Full name Memeh Caleb Okoli [1]
Date of birth (2001-07-13) 13 July 2001 (age 23) [2]
Place of birth Vicenza, Italy
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) [2]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Leicester City
Number 5
Youth career
2015–2016 Vicenza
2016–2020 Atalanta
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2024 Atalanta 17 (0)
2020–2021 → SPAL (loan) 16 (1)
2021–2022 → Cremonese (loan) 27 (0)
2023–2024 → Frosinone (loan) 34 (0)
2024– Leicester City 5 (0)
International career
2019–2020 Italy U19 10 (0)
2021 Italy U20 1 (0)
2021–2023 Italy U21 14 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:58, 8 October 2024 (UTC)

Memeh Caleb Okoli (born 13 July 2001) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Leicester City.

Contents

Club career

Okoli joined the youth teams of Atalanta in the summer of 2015 and started playing for their Under-19 squad in the 2018–19 season. [3] He was occasionally called up to Atalanta's senior team in that season and the next, but never appeared on the field. He also represented the club in the 2019–20 UEFA Youth League.

On 25 September 2020, he joined Serie B club SPAL on loan. [4]

He made his Serie B debut for SPAL on 21 November 2020 in a game against Pescara. He started and played the full game in a 2–0 victory. [5]

On 12 July 2021, he joined Serie B club Cremonese on a season-long loan. [6]

Okoli returned to Atalanta in July 2022, after his loan ended, and was integrated into Atalanta's first team for the following season. He made his Serie A debut with Atalanta on 13 August 2022 in a 2–0 victory over Sampdoria. [7]

On 1 September 2023, Okoli moved to newly promoted Serie A club Frosinone on a season-long loan. [8]

Leicester City

On 9 July 2024, Okoli signed for newly promoted Premier League club Leicester City on a five-year deal. [9]

International career

Born in Italy to parents of Nigerian origin, Okoli is Igbo and Yoruba by descent. [10] He was first called up to represent Italy in 2019 with the Italy U19 side. [11]

He made his debut with the Italy U21 team on 7 September 2021, playing as a starter in the qualifying match won 1–0 against Montenegro. [12] He was called up to the senior Italy squad for 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches against France and Israel on 6 and 9 September 2024, respectively. [13]

Career statistics

As of match played 5 October 2024 [14]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Atalanta 2020–21 Serie A 0000—0000
2021–22 Serie A0000—0000
2022–23 Serie A17000——170
2023–24 Serie A0000—0000
Total17000—00170
SPAL (loan) 2020–21 Serie B 16130——191
Cremonese (loan) 2021–22 Serie B27010——280
Frosinone (loan) 2023–24 Serie A34030——370
Leicester City 2024–25 Premier League 500020—70
Career total9917020001081

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    References

    1. ↑ "2024/25 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
    2. 1 2 "Caleb Okoli: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
    3. ↑ Caleb Okoli at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
    4. ↑ "OKOLI DALL'ATALANTA E RANIERI DALLA FIORENTINA IN PRESTITO ALLA SPAL" [Okoli from Atalanta and Ranieri from Fiorentina on loan at SPAL] (in Italian). SPAL. 25 September 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
    5. ↑ "SPAL v Pescara game report". Soccerway. 21 November 2020.
    6. ↑ "OKOLI NUOVO CALCIATORE GRIGIOROSSO" (in Italian). Cremonese. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
    7. ↑ "Okoli festeggia il debutto in A con l'Atalanta: "La prima non si scorda"". alfredopedulla.com (in Italian). 14 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
    8. ↑ "Caleb Okoli joins Frosinone". Atalanta BC. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
    9. ↑ "Defender Caleb Okoli Signs From Atalanta". www.lcfc.com. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
    10. ↑ "Atalanta's Okoli Could Spark International Tug-Of-War Between Nigeria And Italy:: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". www.allnigeriasoccer.com.
    11. ↑ "Okoli Italy U19 profile" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
    12. ↑ "Italy 1–0 Montenegro". uefa.com. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
    13. ↑ "Okoli In Line For Italy Debut In Upcoming Internationals". lcfc.com. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
    14. ↑ Caleb Okoli at Soccerway
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