Ed Asafu-Adjaye

Ed Asafu-Adjaye
Asafu-Adjaye playing for Forest Green Rovers in 2012–13
Personal information
Full name Edward Yaw Okyere Asafu-Adjaye[1]
Date of birth (1988-12-22) 22 December 1988 (age 35)[2]
Place of birth Southwark, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Royston Town
Youth career
2005–2007 Luton Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2012 Luton Town 60 (1)
2007 → Walton & Hersham (loan) 7 (3)
2008 → Salisbury City (loan) 14 (0)
2011 → Histon (loan) 5 (0)
2012–2014 Forest Green Rovers 40 (0)
2014–2017 Hemel Hempstead Town 52 (2)
2017 → Kings Langley (loan) 1 (0)
2017–2018 Royston Town 51 (0)
2018–2019 Hayes & Yeading United 50 (2)
2019– Royston Town 41 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:00, 18 January 2020 (UTC)

Edward Yaw Okyere Asafu-Adjaye (born 22 December 1988) is an English footballer who plays for Southern League Premier Division Central side Royston Town, where he plays as a defender.

Career

Born in Southwark, London, Asafu-Adjaye started his career at Luton Town as a scholar, he was sent on loan to Isthmian League Premier Division side Walton & Hersham, making his debut for 'the Swans' in March 2007 and scoring in a 1–0 win over Carshalton Athletic. He went on to make seven appearances during his loan spell, playing at right-back and scoring three goals.

Asafu-Adjaye was rewarded with a one-year professional contract during the summer of 2007. Unable to break into the Luton side at the beginning of the 2007–08 season, he was instead loaned to Conference Premier side Salisbury City in January 2008 by then-Hatters manager Kevin Blackwell.[3] He made his Salisbury debut in a 3–1 home win over Oxford United.[4] Asafu-Adjaye continued to impress during his time with Salisbury, in which time he earned several man-of-the-match accolades.

Asafu-Adjaye playing for Luton Town in 2011

With Luton Town in administration and heading for relegation to League Two, new manager Mick Harford decided to recall Asafu-Adjaye from his loan spell in late March, and he made his Luton Town debut in a 2–1 home victory over Crewe Alexandra just days after returning to Kenilworth Road.[5] Operating at right-back, he went on to make seven league appearances for the Hatters as they were relegated. During the summer of 2008 he signed a new contract, despite interest from his former loan club Salisbury City.[6]

In the 2008–09 season, Asafu-Adjaye established himself as the first choice right-back in the Luton team, and also started at centre-back in Luton's 3–2 victory over Scunthorpe United in the Football League Trophy final at Wembley Stadium.[7] On 30 June 2009, Asafu-Adjaye agreed to a one-year contract extension, keeping him at Luton until 2011.[8]

Out of favour at Luton, having made just two league appearances during the 2010–11 season, Asafu-Adjaye joined Histon on loan until the end of the season on 25 March 2011.[9] He made five appearances for the Stutes, before being recalled due to an injury to full-back Fred Murray. New Luton manager Gary Brabin installed Asafu-Adjaye into the first-team as he played in a 3–0 victory over Eastbourne Borough on 23 April.[10] He started at left-back in the crucial first leg of the play-off semi-final against Wrexham on 5 May, scoring his first goal for the club, a half-volley from 18 yards, in a 3–0 win.[11]

On 12 July 2011, Asafu-Adjaye agreed to sign a new contract with Luton.[12] He made thirteen appearances during the season, and on 30 April 2012 it was announced that Asafu-Adjaye was to be released from Luton.[13]

On 2 July 2012, it was announced that Asafu-Adjaye had signed for Forest Green Rovers on a one-year contract.[14][15] He made his Forest Green debut on 11 August 2012 in a 1–1 draw with Cambridge United.[16] After an impressive opening few months at The New Lawn, he signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until June 2014.[17] On 28 April 2014, having made 40 league appearances in two seasons for the club, he was released along with nine other players at the end of his contract.[18]

On 8 August 2014, Asafu-Adjaye signed for newly promoted Conference South side Hemel Hempstead Town.[19] He made his debut for the club the next day on 9 August in a 1–0 away win over Basingstoke Town.[20]

In the summer 2019, Asafu-Adjaye returned to Royston Town for the second time after a year at Hayes & Yeading United.[21]

Career statistics

As of 18 March 2014.[22]
Club Season League[A] FA Cup League Cup Other[B] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Walton & Hersham (loan) 2006–07 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3
Luton Town 2007–08 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Salisbury City (loan) 2007–08 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0
Luton Town 2008–09 19 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 24 0
Luton Town 2009–10 20 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 23 0
Luton Town 2010–11 8 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 15 1
Histon (loan) 2010–11 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Luton Town 2011–12 9 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 13 0
Forest Green Rovers 2012–13 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 0
Forest Green Rovers 2013–14 16 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 19 0
Career totals 106 4 7 0 0 0 17 0 130 4

Honours

Luton Town

Footnotes

A. ^ The "League" column constitutes appearances and goals in the League competition.
B. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy and FA Trophy.

References

  1. ^ "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/12/2012 and 31/12/2012". The Football Association. p. 1. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.
  3. ^ "Salisbury loan Luton defender". Football Conference. 12 January 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2009. [dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Salisbury 3–1 Oxford". BBC Sport. 12 January 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Match report: Luton 2–1 Crewe". Luton Town F.C. 29 March 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
  6. ^ "Salisbury sign Luton midfielder". BBC Sport. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
  7. ^ "Luton 3–2 Scunthorpe (aet)". BBC Sport. 5 April 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
  8. ^ "Ed to pen contract extension". Luton Town F.C. 5 April 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  9. ^ "Ed loaned to Stutes". Luton Town F.C. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  10. ^ "Luton Town 3–0 Eastbourne". BBC Sport. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  11. ^ "Wrexham 0–3 Luton Town". BBC Sport. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  12. ^ "Ed & Fred sign new contracts". Luton Town F.C. 12 July 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Town release trio". Luton Town F.C. 30 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  14. ^ "Forest Green Rovers sign defender Ed Asafu-Adjaye". BBC Sport. 2 July 2012.
  15. ^ "New Fixtures, New Players, New Kit". Football Conference. 2 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  16. ^ "Forest Green 1–1 Cambridge". BBC Sport. 11 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Forest Green Rovers hand new contracts to five players". BBC Sport. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  18. ^ "Yan Klukowski exits with nine players". BBC Sport. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  19. ^ "New boys strengthen further". Football Conference. 8 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  20. ^ "Basingstoke Town 0 Hemel Hempstead Town 1". Basingstoke Gazette. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  21. ^ Royston Town sign Asafu-Adjaye and Adams[usurped], nonleaguedaily.com, 10 July 2019
  22. ^ "Profile – Ed Asafu-Adjaye". Luton Town F.C. 13 February 2012. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  23. ^ Fletcher, Paul (5 April 2009). "Luton 3–2 Scunthorpe (aet)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 March 2024.