David Ezeh

David Ezeh
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-02-13) 13 February 2006 (age 18)
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre-forward
Team information
Current team
 Raków Częstochowa
(on loan from HJK)
Number 29
Youth career
–2014 Gnistan
2015–2018 HPS
2019–2022 HJK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Klubi 04 43 (23)
2023– HJK 11 (1)
2024– → Raków Częstochowa (loan) 0 (0)
International career‡
2021–2022 Finland U16 5 (1)
2022–2023 Finland U17 15 (6)
2023– Finland U18 7 (5)
2023– Finland U19 8 (6)
Medal record
HJK
First place Veikkausliiga 2023
First place Finnish League Cup 2023
Finland U18
First place Baltic Cup 2023[1]
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 July 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 October 2024

David Ezeh (born 13 February 2006) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a centre-forward for Ekstraklasa club Raków Częstochowa, on loan from HJK.[2][3][4]

Early life

Ezeh was born in Helsinki to Finnish mother and Nigerian father from Imo State, and was raised in Puistola and Oulunkylä.[5] He started playing football in a youth team of IF Gnistan, after his family had moved to Oulunkylä. Before choosing football, his first sport was Greco-Roman wrestling, which lasted only six months.[6] He moved to the youth team of Helsingin Palloseura (HPS) in 2015, and after four years with HPS, he joined the HJK Helsinki youth academy after the 2018 season. In October 2021, Ezeh was awarded the Best Player Trophy in the annual U15 Kai Pahlman tournament, organized by Finnish FA. Ezeh scored eight goals in six games, helping HJK youth team to win the tournament.[7]

Club career

HJK

On 14 January 2022, Ezeh signed his first professional contract with HJK, at the age of 15.[8] He made his senior debut on 19 April 2022 with the club's reserve team Klubi 04 in the third tier level Kakkonen, in a 3–3 draw against Honka II.[9] He made 19 appearances in total for Klubi 04 in the 2022 season, scoring four goals.

Ezeh's contract was extended on 4 January 2023 until the end of 2025, after he had trialed with Midtjylland for a week.[10] He made his Veikkausliiga debut on 29 April 2023 against Haka at the age of 17, coming in from the bench for the final minutes, as a substitute for Bojan Radulović.[11] In the 2023 season, Ezeh mostly played for Klubi 04, scoring 18 goals in 24 matches in the division, making him the top goalscorer in Kakkonen Group A. He was also named the player of the year in the Group A.[12]

Ezeh represented HJK in the 2023–24 UEFA Youth League campaign, scoring three goals and providing an assist in four matches, against Malmö FF Youth and Nantes Youth.[13][14][15]

He scored his first goal in Veikkausliiga on 6 April 2024, in the opening match of the 2024 season, in a 3–1 away loss against Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS).[16] On 11 May 2024, his deal was extended until the end of the 2026 season.[17]

Raków Częstochowa (loan)

On 22 July 2024, Ezeh was loaned out to Polish Ekstraklasa club Raków Częstochowa until 20 March 2025 with an option to buy.[18][19]

International career

A regular Finnish youth international, Ezeh has represented Finland in various age brackets from U16 to U19 level, scoring at every level.

In March 2022, Ezeh was part of the Finland U17 squad in the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification Elite round matches against Portugal, Bulgaria and Ireland.[20]

In September 2022, Ezeh was named in the Finland U17 squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification tournament against Greece, Italy and Kosovo, scoring one goal in three games. Finland finished 2nd in the group and qualified for the Elite round in March 2023.[21]

Ezeh was part of the Finland U18 squad winning the friendly tournament Baltic Cup in June 2023,[22] scoring two goals in three games.

In October 2023, Ezeh was part of the Finland U19 squad in the 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification tournament, scoring three goals in three games against Romania, Czech Republic and San Marino.

Career statistics

As of 22 July 2024[23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League Cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Klubi 04 2022 Kakkonen 18 4 1 0 — — 19 4
2023 Kakkonen 24 18 0 0 — — 24 18
2024 Ykkönen 1 1 — — — 1 1
Total 43 23 1 0 0 0 0 0 44 23
HJK 2023 Veikkausliiga 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 5 0
2024 Veikkausliiga 10 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 13 3
Total 11 1 1 2 6 0 0 0 18 3
Raków Częstochowa (loan) 2024–25 Ekstraklasa 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0
Career total 54 24 2 2 6 0 0 0 61 26
  1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup
  2. ^ Includes Finnish League Cup

Honours

HJK

Finland U18

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b Finnish FA
  2. ^ Virtanen, Ari (21 January 2023). "HJK:n nuoret pelaajat eivät arkailleet vaan osuivat heti debyytissään Hakaa vastaan". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  3. ^ ""Mahtava kokemus pelata edustuksen kanssa" - hyökkääjälupaus David Ezeh nautti HJK-debyytistään" (in Finnish). Veikkausliiga. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  4. ^ "U17-pojat hakee toista voittoaan Belgiasta" (in Finnish). Finnish FA. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  5. ^ "HJK Helsinki Teen Star David Ezeh Commits Future To Nigeria". completesports.com. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  6. ^ "David Ezehin painiharrastus päättyi lapsena kyyneliin - ensimmäinen viikko liigajoukkueen mukana loksautti leaut" (in Finnish). HJK. 4 May 2022.
  7. ^ Tulospalvelu: HJK:n David Ezeh palkittiin Kai Pahlman -turnauksen parhaana, tässä joukkueiden sijoitukset, Aamulehti, 21 October 2021
  8. ^ "David Ezeh akatemiasta HJK Klubi 04:een" (in Finnish). HJK. 14 January 2022.
  9. ^ HONKA AKATEMIA VS. KLUBI-04 3 - 3, int.soccerway.com
  10. ^ "Midtjyllandin testissä käynyt David Ezeh jatkosopimukseen" (in Finnish). HJK. 4 January 2023.
  11. ^ HJK VS. HAKA 2 - 0, int.soccerway.com
  12. ^ a b c Captain's Ball 2023 – Palkitut osa 1, Finnish FA, 1 December 2023
  13. ^ David Ezeh, players profile, UEFA
  14. ^ Historiallinen temppu! HJK:n nuoret tähdet jyräsivät Malmön UEFA Youth Leaguessa, hjk.fi, 4 October 2023
  15. ^ HJK:n matka päättyi UEFA Youth Leaguessa upeasta taistelusta huolimatta, hjk.fi, 22 November 2023
  16. ^ KuPS – HJK, veikkausliiga.com
  17. ^ David Ezeh ja HJK jatkosopimukseen, hjk.fi, 11 May 2024
  18. ^ David Ezeh lainalle Puolaan, hjk.fi, 22 July 2024
  19. ^ DAVID EZEH NOWYM PIŁKARZEM RAKOWA!, rakow.com, 22 July 2024
  20. ^ EM-karsinnat U17-pojat MAAOTTELUT 2022, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto
  21. ^ U17-pojat päättää EM-karsinnat tiistaina, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto, 10 October 2022
  22. ^ U18-pojat nimetty kesäkuun Baltic Cupiin, Football Association of Finland, 30 May 2023
  23. ^ REF soccerway