| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Chituru Ethan Odunze [1] | ||
| Date of birth | October 14, 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | ||
| Height | 2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Charlotte FC | ||
| Number | 26 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007 | Kingfishers | ||
| 2008 | Thames Moorings | ||
| 2009–2010 | Royal Greenwich | ||
| 2010–2013 | Chelsea | ||
| 2014 | Calgary Villains FC | ||
| 2015 | Calgary Blizzard SC | ||
| 2015–2016 | Calgary Foothills FC | ||
| 2017–2019 | Vancouver Whitecaps | ||
| 2019–2023 | Leicester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023– | Crown Legacy | 23 | (0) |
| 2024– | Charlotte FC | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018–2019 | United States U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2020 | United States U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2023– | United States U23 | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 26, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals as of November 11, 2020 | |||
Chituru Ethan Odunze (born October 14, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC.
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, [2] Odunze moved to England as a child and played for local youth teams before spending time in the Chelsea academy. [3] [4] He moved to Canada when he was eleven and played for local sides Calgary Villains FC and Calgary Blizzard SC. [2] During this time, he went on trial with Welsh side Cardiff City, training with the first team despite only being fourteen. [2] [5] In January 2019, he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy from Calgary Foothills. [4] Later in the same year, Odunze signed with English side Leicester City. [6] He went on to train with the senior squad. [7]
On August 2, 2023, Odunze signed a professional contract with Crown Legacy FC in MLS Next Pro. [8]
Odunze signed with the Charlotte FC first team on January 18, 2024. His Major League Soccer contract is guaranteed through 2027 with a club option for 2028. [9]
Chituru is of Igbo Nigerian descent.[ citation needed ]
Odunze is eligible for the United States, England, Canada, and Nigeria. He was called up to the Canada under-15 side in 2017 but has represented the United States at under-17 and under-20 levels. [10] He represented the United States at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, playing in two group-stage games. [2]
In November 2020, Odunze was called up to the senior United States national team for the first time. [11] [12]