Zach Awe

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Zach Awe
Personal information
Full name Zachariah Olumide Ebunoluwa Awe [1]
Date of birth (2004-01-09) 9 January 2004 (age 21) [2]
Place of birth Greenwich, England
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.92 m) [2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
Southampton
Youth career
2012–2023 Arsenal
2023–2024 Southampton
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2024– Southampton 0 (0)
2024–2025Accrington Stanley (loan) 21 (1)
International career
2019–2020 England U16 9 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:00, 5 January 2025 (UTC)

Zachariah Olumide Ebunoluwa Awe (born 9 January 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Southampton. He is an England youth international. [3]

Contents

Club career

Awe spent eleven years in the youth ranks at Arsenal. [4] He made appearances in the EFL Trophy for Arsenal, and was included in match-day squads for the first team, and was an unused substitute in the Premier League without making a first team debut. [5] He joined Southampton in August 2023, despite being offered new terms by his hometown club, signing a three-year contract, initially joining the Under-21's for the 2023–24 season. [6] [7] [8]

On 4 July 2024, Awe joined League Two club Accrington Stanley on a season-long loan. [9] He made his debut for the club on 10 August 2024 in a 4–1 defeat against Doncaster Rovers. [10] On 8 October 2024, Awe received a red card during a 2–1 defeat against Tranmere Rovers in the EFL Trophy. [11] [12] He scored his first goal for the club on 9 November 2024 in a 3–0 away victory against Chesterfield. [13] On 3 February 2025, Awe was recalled from loan and returned to Southampton after he suffered an injury in January. [14]

International career

Awe made his debut playing for the England U-16 side in August 2019. [15] In September 2023 he was called up to the England U-20 side. [16]

Style of play

He has been described as a ball-playing central defender, comfortable with the ball at his feet and capable of playing out from the back. [17]

Personal life

Born in Greenwich, London, [18] he has Nigerian and St Lucian heritage. [19] [20]

Career statistics

As of match played 11 January 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Southampton 2024–25 [21] Premier League 0000000000
Accrington Stanley (loan) 2024–25 [21] League Two 21130102 [a] 0271
Total211301020271
  1. Appearances in EFL Trophy

References

  1. "Aspire Academy Tri-Series Season 2015–16" (PDF). Aspire Academy. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Zach Awe Southampton Defender, Profile & Stats". Premier League. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  3. "Zach Awe". Soccerway. 9 August 2023.
  4. Wyatt, Mark (8 August 2023). "Zach Awe's first words as Southampton complete transfer for Arsenal centre-back". Hampshire Live. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  5. Begley, Emlyn (10 February 2022). "Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  6. House, Alfie (8 August 2023). "Southampton complete signing of promising former Arsenal defender". Daily Echo. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  7. Campbell, Jordan (29 July 2023). "Former Arsenal defender Zach Awe to join Southampton". The Athletic. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  8. "Saints confirm Zach Awe signing". Southampton FC. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  9. "Zach Awe joins Accrington on loan". Southampton FC. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  10. "Doncaster Rovers 4–1 Accrington Stanley". BBC Sport. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  11. "Tranmere Rovers 2–1 Accrington Stanley". BBC Sport. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  12. "REPORT: Tranmere Rovers 2 Stanley 1". Accrington Stanley FC. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  13. "Chesterfield 0–3 Accrington Stanley". BBC Sport. 9 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  14. "O'Brien-Whitmarsh joins Accrington on loan as Awe recalled". Southampton FC. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  15. "ENGLAND U16 VS. DENMARK U16 2 - 0". Soccerway. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  16. Rees-Julian, George (5 September 2023). "Southampton defender receives late call up to England youth team squad". Daily Echo. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  17. Rawley, Luke (27 June 2023). "Arsenal contract rebel 'discussed' by Leicester City as free transfer looms". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  18. "Zach Awe". Arsenal.com. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  19. "Who is Zach Awe? 18 Year Old Nigerian Defender Who Made Arsenal's Bench Against Wolves". thestreetjournal.org. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  20. "Official: Flying Eagles-eligible CB joins Southampton after release by Arsenal". allnigeriasoccer.com. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  21. 1 2 "Games played by Zach Awe in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 August 2024.