Dapo Mebude

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Dapo Mebude
Espana-escocia-sub19-3 (32156296097) awokoya.jpg
Mebude with Scotland U19 in 2019
Personal information
Full name Adedapo Paul Oluwaseun Awokoya-Mebude [1]
Date of birth (2001-07-29) 29 July 2001 (age 24) [2]
Place of birth London, England
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) [3]
Position(s) Winger, striker
Youth career
2011–2019 Rangers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–2021 Rangers 1 (0)
2021 → Queen of the South (loan) 11 (2)
2021–2022 Watford 0 (0)
2021–2022 → AFC Wimbledon (loan) 25 (2)
2022–2024 KV Oostende 7 (0)
2024–2025 Dunfermline Athletic 14 (0)
2025 → Septemvri Sofia (loan) 0 (0)
International career
Scotland U16
2017–2018 Scotland U17 10 (2)
2018 Scotland U18 2 (0)
2018–2020 Scotland U19 13 (4)
2021–2022 Scotland U21 5 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:53, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

Adedapo Paul Oluwaseun Awokoya-Mebude (born 29 July 2001) is a Scottish professional footballer who most recently played as a striker for Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic.

Contents

Early life

Mebude was born in London, [4] growing up in Peckham, [5] and is of Nigerian descent. [6] His family moved to Scotland when he was 10 years old, living in Govan, [7] and he joined the Rangers youth system after attending an open Soccer Schools event organised by the club. [8] [9] He was later a participant in the SFA's Performance School programme at Holyrood Secondary School, [10] and also attended Rangers' youth partnership school Boclair Academy. [11]

Club career

Mebude turned professional with Rangers in May 2017. [12] Mebude signed a new contract with the club in December 2018, keeping him at Ibrox until 2021. [11] In February 2019 he was recalled from international duty with the Scotland under-19s to join up with the Rangers first team, due to injury problems. [13] Mebude debuted for the first-team on 19 May 2019, in a 2–1 away defeat versus Kilmarnock in the league. [14]

On 21 January 2021, Mebude joined Scottish Championship club Queen of the South on loan until the end of the season. [15] He scored his first professional goal, in a 4–2 league win at Gayfield Park versus Arbroath on 6 March 2021. [16]

In June 2021, Mebude ran out his contract with Rangers to become a free agent. [17] [9] A month later in July, he was signed by Watford on a two-year contract with the option of a further two-years. [18] [19] He suffered a back injury at the end of July 2021, and was hospitalised. [20] [21]

He moved on loan to AFC Wimbledon in August 2021. [22] [5] He scored his first goal for Wimbledon in a 3–3 draw against Bolton Wanderers on 14 August 2021. [23]

In September 2022 he signed for Belgian club KV Oostende. [24]

Mebude trained with Livingston in July 2024. [25] In October 2024, he joined Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic on a one-year deal. [26] Mebude was loaned out to Bulgarian side PFC Septemvri Sofia from February 2025 until the end of the season, [27] and was released by Dunfermline at the end of his contract. [28]

International career

Mebude has represented Scotland at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 youth levels, and made his first under-21 appearance in October 2021 against Denmark. [2] [12] [11] [13] [29]

Style of play

In November 2018, he was described by the Daily Record as a "diminutive striker" who was "highly-rated within Ibrox" and that he was "known for his lightening[ sic ] quick pace as well as his obvious finishing ability and is a handful for defenders with his trickery". [4] In a September 2019 interview, Mebude stated "When I play as a winger I try and be direct and score goals like Raheem Sterling who is fast, direct and a similar build to me." [30]

Personal life

In February 2021 Mebude was one of five Rangers players fined by Scottish police "for attending an illegal gathering of ten people in a flat" in breach of lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. [31]

Mebude was hospitalised in January 2024 following a car crash. [32] He was unconscious for 5 days. [7] He has a daughter. [7]

His younger brother Dire is also a footballer. [7] [33]

References

  1. ↑ "2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 Dapo Mebude at the Scottish Football Association
  3. ↑ Dapo Mebude at Soccerway. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 Mark McDougall (7 November 2018). "Who is Dapo Mebude? Rangers fans rave as teen hits treble for reserves". Daily Record. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  5. 1 2 Dapo: It was the 'perfect' option to sign for the Dons, AFC Wimbledon, 4 August 2021
  6. ↑ "Nigerian Superkid Signs Professional Contract With Scottish Powerhouse Rangers". All Nigeria Soccer. 30 May 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Dunfermline's Dapo Mebude: From Rangers dream under Steven Gerrard to car crash scare in Belgium". BBC Sport. 27 December 2024.
  8. ↑ Dapo Mebude determined to grab his Rangers chance with the help of striking rivals Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe, Evening Times, 17 September 2019
  9. 1 2 Dapo Mebude reveals the dangling Rangers carrot he turned down as Watford star talks up Ibrox exit call, Scott McDermott, 3 October 2021
  10. ↑ Performance Schools Roll Of Honour, Scottish Football Association
  11. 1 2 3 "Dapo Mebude Signs New Contract". Rangers F.C. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  12. 1 2 "Rangers starlets Serge Atakayi and Dapo Mebude profiled as academy prospects add to their growing reputation". Daily Record. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Rangers facing striker shortage against St Johnstone, says Gerrard". BBC Sport. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  14. ↑ "Kilmarnock 2–1 Rangers". BBC Sport. 19 May 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  15. ↑ "Dapo Mebude". Queen of the South F.C. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  16. ↑ "QoS : Report – Arbroath 6.3.21". www.qosfc.com. 6 March 2021.
  17. ↑ "Pacy attacker looks set to leave Rangers for nothing this summer as contract runs down". Rangers News. 20 May 2021.
  18. ↑ "Official: Mebude Signs For Golden Boys". www.watfordfc.com. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  19. ↑ "Watford sign Etebo, King and Mebude". BBC Sport. 9 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "Injury Update: Dapo Mebude". www.watfordfc.com. 28 July 2021.
  21. ↑ "Mebude out of hospital after back injury". Watford Observer. 28 July 2021.
  22. ↑ "Wimbledon sign Watford's Mebude on loan". BBC Sport. 4 August 2021.
  23. ↑ "Wimbledon 3–3 Bolton". BBC. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  24. ↑ "Official: Mebude Makes Belgium Move". www.watfordfc.com.
  25. ↑ "Ex-Rangers starlet pictured training with Livingston". thenational.scot. 5 July 2024.
  26. ↑ "Dapo Mebude signs for Dunfermline". dafc.co.uk. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  27. ↑ "Dunfermline's Dapo Mebude joins Bulgaria's Septemvri Sofia on loan". Dunfermline Press. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  28. ↑ "Squad Update – Lewis McCann & Dapo Mebude". Dunfermline Press. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  29. ↑ Alasdair Mackenzie (27 March 2018). "Rangers youngster Dapo Mebude seals win for Scotland Under-17s against Germany" . Herald Scotland. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  30. ↑ Cusick, Aiden (10 September 2019). "Rangers winger Dapo Mebude likens himself to £49m Premier League star". HITC.
  31. ↑ Lindsay, Matthew (20 February 2021). "Rangers midfielder Bongani Zungu set to depart Ibrox this summer following Covid-19 lockdown breach" . Herald Scotland. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  32. ↑ "Dapo Mebude: Scotland U21 player in hospital after car crash in Belgium". BBC Sport. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  33. ↑ "Bristol City sign 'mystery attacker' with loan addition of ex-Manchester City and Rangers talent". BristolPost. 1 February 2024.
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