Elijah Gift

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Izobodo and the second or maternal family name is John.
Elijah Gift
Personal information
Full name Elijah Gift Izobodo John
Date of birth (2006-06-11) 11 June 2006 (age 18)
Place of birth Corella, Spain
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Athletic Bilbao B
Number 30
Youth career
–2015 Escuela de Fútbol Francisco Castejón
2015–2017 Huddersfield Town
2017–2023 Liverpool
2023–2024 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Athletic Bilbao B 1 (0)
International career‡
2024 Spain U18 3 (0)
2024– Spain U19 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:14, 16 October 2024 (UTC)

Elijah Gift Izobodo John (born 11 June 2006) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a winger for Athletic Bilbao B.

Early life

Gift was born in Corella, Navarre, Spain to a Nigerian father and a Spanish mother of Cuban descent. His family moved to England around 2015 for work reasons.[1]

Club career

As a child in Spain, Gift joined the Escuela de Fútbol Francisco Castejón. After moving to England in 2015, he joined the youth academy of English side Huddersfield Town and in 2017, was signed Premier League side Liverpool.

He signed for Athletic Bilbao in 2023 for a fee of around €1 million and was expected initially to play for CD Basconia, the club's fifth-tier farm team for teenagers, but was unable to do so due to technicalities concerning its status as a semi-independent organisation and the recent completion of his international transfer, so was instead assigned to the Juvenil A (under-19) squad.[2] He started his senior career with the reserve team Athletic Bilbao B, making his debut during a 3–1 win over UD Mutilvera in the Segunda Federación on 2 March 2024.

International career

Gift has represented Spain internationally at youth levels.[2] He was called up to the provisional squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship but did not make the final cut.[3]

Style of play

Gift mainly operates as a winger. He is known for his strength.[2]

Personal life

Gift has been reported to be a supporter of Liverpool.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Elijah Gift, la apuesta del Athletic del futuro" [Elijah Gift, Athletic's bet for the future]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 7 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Elijah Gift se reivindica como una de las grandes promesas del Athletic" [Elijah Gift stakes a claim to be one of Athletic's great promises]. El Correo (in Spanish). 17 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Castejón-Liverpool-Bilbao: el tren de Elijah Gift" [Castejón-Liverpool-Bilbao: Elijah Gift's train]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). 28 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Un 'Mini-Mané' de raíces navarras" [A 'Mini-Mané' with Navarrese roots]. Marca (in Spanish). 10 June 2018.