David Ezeh
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-02-13) 13 February 2006
Place of birth Helsinki, Finland
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre-forward
Team information
Current team
 HJK
Number 20
Youth career
–2014 Gnistan
2015–2018 HPS
2019–2022 HJK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Klubi 04 42 (22)
2023– HJK 1 (0)
International career‡
2021–2022 Finland U16 5 (1)
2022–2023 Finland U17 15 (6)
2023– Finland U18 5 (3)
2023– Finland U19 5 (4)
Medal record
HJK
First placeVeikkausliiga2023
First placeFinnish League Cup2023
Finland U18
First placeBaltic Cup2023[1]
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2023

David Ezeh (born 13 February 2006) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a centre-forward for Veikkausliiga club HJK and the Finland under-19 national team.[2][3][4] Ezeh has been described as one of the most talented teenagers in Finland.[5]

Early years

Ezeh was born in Helsinki to Finnish mother and Nigerian father from Imo State, and was raised in Puistola and Oulunkylä.[6] 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.[7] He moved to the youth team of Helsingin Palloseura (HPS) in 2015, and after four years with the team, he joined the HJK Helsinki youth academy after the 2018 season.

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 the named the player of the year in the Group A.

Ezeh was part of the HJK Youth squad 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.[12][13][14]

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.[15]

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 to the Elite round in March 2023.[16]

Ezeh was part of the Finland U18 squad winning the friendly tournament Baltic Cup in June 2023,[17] 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 1 November 2023[18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] Other Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Klubi 04 Kakkonen 2022 18410——194
2023 241800——2418
Total 42221000004322
HJK Veikkausliiga 2023 10004[lower-alpha 2]00050
Career total 43221040004822
  1. ↑ Includes Suomen Cup
  2. ↑ Appearance(s) in Finnish League Cup

Honours

Club

HJK

Finland U18

  • Baltic Cup: 2023

Individual

  • Kakkonen, Group A: The Player of the Year 2023[19]
  • Kakkonen, Group A: Top Goalscorer 2023

References

  1. ↑ 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. ↑ "David Ezeh". footballtalentscout.net. 30 January 2023.
  6. ↑ "HJK Helsinki Teen Star David Ezeh Commits Future To Nigeria". completesports.com. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "David Ezehin painiharrastus päättyi lapsena kyyneliin - ensimmäinen viikko liigajoukkueen mukana loksautti leaut" (in Finnish). HJK. 4 May 2022.
  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. ↑ David Ezeh, players profile, UEFA
  13. ↑ Historiallinen temppu! HJK:n nuoret tähdet jyräsivät Malmön UEFA Youth Leaguessa, hjk.fi, 4 October 2023
  14. ↑ HJK:n matka päättyi UEFA Youth Leaguessa upeasta taistelusta huolimatta, hjk.fi, 22 November 2023
  15. ↑ EM-karsinnat U17-pojat MAAOTTELUT 2022, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto
  16. ↑ U17-pojat päättää EM-karsinnat tiistaina, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto, 10 October 2022
  17. ↑ U18-pojat nimetty kesäkuun Baltic Cupiin, Football Association of Finland, 30 May 2023
  18. ↑ REF soccerway
  19. ↑ Captain's Ball 2023 – Palkitut osa 1, Finnish FA, 1 December 2023
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