Michael Ihiekwe

Michael Ihiekwe

Ihiekwe in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Michael Uzoukwu Absalom Jude Ihiekwe [1]
Date of birth	(1992-11-20) 20 November 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Sheffield Wednesday
Number	20
Youth career
	Liverpool
–2011	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2014	Wolverhampton Wanderers	0	(0)
2014	→ Cheltenham Town (loan)	13	(0)
2014–2017	Tranmere Rovers	112	(5)
2017–2022	Rotherham United	163	(10)
2018–2019	→ Accrington Stanley (loan)	20	(1)
2022–	Sheffield Wednesday	50	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:32, 28 September 2024 (UTC)

Michael Uzoukwu Absalom Jude Ihiekwe (born 20 November 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL Championship club Sheffield Wednesday.

Club career

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Ihiekwe was a member of his local side, Liverpool's academy system, before he was released during the 2010–11 season. ^[2]

He soon joined the youth ranks of Wolverhampton Wanderers, with whom he signed a professional contract in 2011. ^[3] In May 2012, Ihiekwe signed a contract extension after the club activated a one-year options. ^[4] Although primarily only involved in youth fixtures, he has twice been an unused substitute for Wolves' first team during the 2013–14 season. ^[5]

He joined League Two side Cheltenham Town initially on a month-long loan in January 2014. ^[6] Ihiekwe then made his senior debut on 25 January 2014 in a 1–1 draw at Plymouth Argyle, ^[7] with his loan then being extended to run until the end of the season, during which he made 13 appearances. ^[8]

The defender's contract at Wolves expired in summer 2014, ^[9] and he departed after not making any appearances for the club.

Tranmere Rovers

After being released by Wolves, Ihiekwe signed a two-year deal with League Two side Tranmere Rovers on 18 June 2014. ^[10] Upon joining the club, Ihiekwe stated he was determined to fight for his place in the first team ^[11] and was given number five shirt ahead of the new season. ^[12]

Ihiekwe made his Tranmere Rovers debut in the opening game of the season, a 1–1 draw against York City, where he played 90 minutes. ^[13] Since his debut, Ihiekwe established himself in the starting eleven at centre-back throughout the season. On 1 November 2014, Ihiekwe scored his first Tranmere Rovers goal, in a 2–2 draw against Stevenage. ^[14] However, during the season, Ihiekwe suffered ankle injury during the match against Cambridge United after a challenge that saw him stretchered off the field. ^[15] The injury wasn't serious ^[16] and he made his return to the first team weeks later, in a 6–2 FA Cup third round loss against Swansea City. ^[17] His return was short-lived when he suffered an injury three weeks later that kept him out for weeks. ^[18] After recovering, Ihiekwe made his return to the first team, coming on as a substitute for Rory Donnelly in the 81st minute, in a 3–2 loss against Portsmouth on 24 February 2015. ^[19] He regained his first team place towards the end of the season, but was unable to help the club, as they were relegated to the Conference Premier. Ihiekwe made thirty-eight appearances for the club in his first season at Tranmere Rovers.

The 2015–16 season saw Ihiekwe given shirt number twelve, with Steve Jennings taking over the number five shirt. ^[20] Ihiekwe started well, scoring his first goal of the season in a 4–1 win over Gateshead. ^[21] However, Ihiekwe was soon sidelined for months with a hamstring injury. ^[22] After making his first team return in a 1–1 draw against Halifax Town on 19 December 2015, ^[23] Ihiekwe scored his second goal of the season seven days later on 26 December 2015, in a 2–1 win over Macclesfield Town. ^[24] Since his return, Ihielkwe managed to regain his first team place for the whole season, as he made thirty-five appearances, but was unsuccessful to help the club get back to promotion to League Two. After scoring a late winner against Sutton United in 2017 ^[25] Ihiekwe was quoted as saying "That will kill Lincoln" ^[26] Ihiekwe in making his statement was a little premature as Lincoln Then went on to secure their next 6 games undefeated and won the National title gaining promotion back to the football League. As the season progress, Ihiekwe began to play in a full-back position, rather than at centre-back, under the management of Gary Brabin. ^[27] At the end of the 2015–16 season, Ihiekwe was offered a new contract ^[28] and signed a one-year contract extension on 1 June 2016. ^[29]

Rotherham United

On 25 May 2017, Rotherham United announced that Ihiekwe had signed a two-year contract with the League One club. ^[30] As well as scoring during pre season, Ihiekwe scored his first competitive goal for Rotherham in a 5-1 home win against Oldham. ^[31]

On 24 August 2018, Ihiekwe joined Accrington Stanley on loan until 2 January 2019. ^[32] Whilst at Rotherham, Ihiekwe met his distant relative Josh 'Skully' Rimmer.

Sheffield Wednesday

On 22 June 2022, Ihiekwe would join Sheffield Wednesday following the expiration of his Rotherham United contract. ^[33] He made his Wednesday debut, starting against Portsmouth on 30 July 2022. ^[34] Manager Darren Moore confirmed that Ihiekwe has sustained knee ligament damage on 3 December 2022 and would have an extended stay in the recovery room. ^[35] He returned to the squad on 10 April 2023 against Burton Albion. ^[36] He scored his first goal in Wednesday colours on 9 April 2024 against Norwich City, heading in from a corner. ^[37]

International career

Ihiekwe was born in England and is of Nigerian descent. ^[38] In September 2015, Ihiekwe was called up by England C. ^[39]

Career statistics

As of match played 28 September 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Cheltenham Town (loan)	2013–14 [40]	League Two	13	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
Tranmere Rovers	2014–15 [41]	League Two	38	1	4	0	1	0	3 [lower-alpha 1]	0	46	1
	2015–16 [42]	National League	35	2	0	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	36	2
	2016–17 [43]	National League	39	2	0	0	0	0	9 [lower-alpha 3]	1	48	3
	Total		112	5	4	0	1	0	13	1	130	6
Rotherham United	2017–18 [44]	League One	31	1	1	0	1	0	2 [lower-alpha 4]	0	35	1
	2018–19 [45]	Championship	15	2	0	0	0	0	—		15	2
	2019–20 [46]	League One	33	2	3	2	2	0	0	0	38	4
	2020–21 [47]	Championship	42	2	1	0	1	0	0	0	44	2
	2021–22 [48]	League One	42	3	3	1	1	0	6 [lower-alpha 5]	1	52	5
	Total		163	10	8	3	5	0	8	1	183	14
Accrington Stanley (loan)	2018–19 [45]	League One	20	1	2	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 5]	0	23	1
Sheffield Wednesday	2022–23 [49]	League One	20	0	2	0	3	0	3 [lower-alpha 4]	0	28	0
	2023–24 [50]	Championship	26	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	29	1
	2024–25 [51]	Championship	4	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	6	0
	Total		50	1	4	0	6	0	3	0	63	1
Career total			357	17	18	3	12	0	25	2	412	22

1. Appearances in Football League Trophy
2. Appearance in FA Trophy
3. Six appearances in FA Trophy, three in National League play-offs
4. Appearances in EFL League One play-offs
5. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

Honours

Rotherham United

• EFL League One runner-up: 2019–20, 2021–22 ^[52]
• EFL Trophy: 2021–22 ^[53]

Sheffield Wednesday

• EFL League One play-offs: 2023 ^[54]

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 2019–20 League One, ^[55] 2021–22 League One ^[56]
• EFL League One Team of the Year: 2021–22 ^[57]

References

1. "List of Temporary Transfers of Players under Written Contract Between 01/08/2018 and 31/08/2018". The Football Association. p. 26. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019.
2. "Starlet eyes 2010 improvement". Liverpool F.C. 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
3. "Scholars offered professional deals". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 11 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2011.
4. "Jody Craddock offered chance of Wolves deal". Express and Star. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
5. "Robins take the Michael". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 10 January 2014.
6. "Cheltenham: Wolves' Ihiekwe joins and Vincent stays". BBC Sport. 10 January 2014.
7. "Plymouth Argyle 1–1 Cheltenham Town". BBC Sport. 25 January 2014.
8. "Ihiekwe and Brundle sign for Cheltenham". BBC Sport. 31 January 2014.
9. "Young defenders to leave". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014.
10. "Michael Ihiekwe signs after Wolves departure". BBC Sport. 18 June 2014.
11. "Tramere's Michael Ihiekwe has his sights set on a first team place". Liverpool Echo. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
12. "2014–15 Squad Numbers Announced". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 17 July 2014. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
13. "Tranmere Rovers 1–1 York City". BBC Sport. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
14. "Tranmere Rovers 2 – 2 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
15. "Match Report: Tranmere Rovers 1 Cambridge United 1". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 19 December 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
16. "Injury Update". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 23 December 2014. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
17. "Tranmere Rovers 2 Swansea City 6 – final whistle report". Liverpool Echo. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
18. "Ihiekwe Set To Miss Carlisle Game". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 5 February 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
19. "Portsmouth 3 – 2 Tranmere Rovers". BBC Sport. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
20. "2015–16 Squad Numbers". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
21. "Gateshead 1 – 4 Tranmere Rovers". BBC Sport. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
22. "Preview: Tranmere v Eastleigh". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 10 October 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
23. "Halifax Town 1 – 1 Tranmere Rover". BBC Sport. 19 December 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
24. "Macclesfield Town 1 – 2 Tranmere Rovers". BBC Sport. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
25. Garnett, Richard (4 April 2017). "Tranmere 3-2 Sutton United: Dramatic last-gasp winner for Rovers".
26. "Rotherham United: Things you might not know about Millers new boy Michael Ihiekwe".
27. "Ihiekwe is right back in my plans, says boss Brabin". Liverpool Echo. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
28. "Three Offered New Contracts". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
29. "Ihiekwe Pens New Deal". Tranmere Rovers F.C. 1 June 2016. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
30. "SIGNING | Ihiekwe becomes Millers first summer signing". Rotherham United Official Site. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
31. "Rotherham United 5-1 Oldham Athletic". BBC Sport. 23 September 2017.
32. "READ | Ihiekwe makes Accrington loan switch". Rotherham United F.C. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
33. "Owls secure Michael Ihiekwe move". Sheffield Wednesday FC. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
34. "Sheffield Wednesday team news confirmed v Portsmouth as Darren Moore hands three debuts". YorkshireLive. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
35. "Bottle it and keep it". Sheffield Wednesday FC. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
36. "Michael Ihiekwe starts in predicted Sheffield Wednesday line-up against Bristol Rovers". YorkshireLive. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
37. "Wednesday 2-2 Norwich". Sheffield Wednesday FC. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
38. "Ex-Liverpool Defender Ihiekwe Offered New Tranmere Rovers Deal :: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". allnigeriasoccer.com.
39. "Rovers Defender Ihiekwe Gets England C Call-Up". The Football Network. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
40. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
41. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
42. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
43. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
44. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
45. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
46. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
47. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
48. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
49. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
50. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
51. "Games played by Michael Ihiekwe in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
52. "M. Ihiekwe". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
53. Peddy, Chris (3 April 2022). "Rotherham United 4–2 Sutton United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
54. Ian Woodcock (29 May 2023). "Barnsley 0–1 Sheffield Wednesday". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
55. "Jordan Henderson among five Liverpool players in PFA team of the year". Yahoo! Sport. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
56. "Mohamed Salah and Sam Kerr win PFA player of year awards". BBC Sport. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
57. "Football Manager EFL Team of the Season line-ups announced". EFL. Retrieved 10 February 2024.

External links

• Michael Ihiekwe at Soccerbase