Seyi Olofinjana
Olofinjana training with Cardiff City in 2011
Personal information
Full name Seyi George Olofinjana[1]
Date of birth (1980-06-30) 30 June 1980[2]
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–1999 Crown
1999–2003 Kwara United
2003–2004 Brann 34 (11)
2004–2008 Wolverhampton Wanderers 135 (16)
2008–2009 Stoke City 18 (2)
2009–2013 Hull City 34 (1)
2010–2011 → Cardiff City (loan) 39 (6)
2013 → Sheffield Wednesday (loan) 6 (0)
2013 Sheffield Wednesday 7 (0)
2014 Start 7 (0)
Total 280 (36)
International career
2000–2011 Nigeria 48 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Seyi George Olofinjana (born 30 June 1980) is a Nigerian former footballer who played as a midfielder.

Olofinjana began his career with local sides Crown and Kwara United before moving to Europe with Norwegian side SK Brann. After two seasons at Brann he moved to English club Wolverhampton Wanderers. He became a regular at Molineux making 213 appearances for the club over four seasons before joining Premier League club Stoke City in August 2008 for a fee of £3 million. He played only the 2008–09 season with the team before joining another top flight side, Hull City, again for a fee of £3 million.

Career

Early career

Born in Lagos,[1] he has a degree in Chemical Engineering.[3]

He made his debut for the Nigeria national team in June 2000, in a 3–2 win over Malawi.[4]

He moved from Nigeria to play club football in Norway for Brann.[4]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

In July 2004 he moved to England to sign for Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of £1.7 million.[5] After having become a regular player for the club, his second season was curtailed by a back injury that also forced him to miss the 2006 African Cup of Nations.[4] In the 2006–07 season, however, finishing as the club's top league goalscorer as they made the play-offs under Mick McCarthy. He netted Wolves' opening goal of the following campaign in a 2–1 defeat to Watford, but could not repeat his goalscoring level of the previous season, scoring only twice more. He missed part of the season as he competed in the 2008 African Cup of Nations where Nigeria lost in the quarter-finals.[4]

Stoke City

In June 2008, following Wolves' failure to win promotion, Olofinjana signed for newly promoted Premier League club Stoke City on a four-year deal for £3 million.[6] He scored his first goal for the club in a home game against Everton in September 2008. After making 21 appearances during the season, Stoke accepted a £2.5 million bid in the close season from French side AS Monaco. Negotiations broke down with Monaco, allowing Hull City to sign Olofinjana for £3 million.[7]

Hull City

Olofinjana playing for Hull City in 2012

Olofinjana joined the Tigers with the club competing in the top division of English football for the only their second-ever season. He scored his first goal for Hull City in a 2–1 win against his former club, Stoke City in November 2009.[8] However, the team was relegated back to the Championship at the end of the campaign. The midfielder was one of a number of departures during the close season as he agreed a season-long loan at fellow Championship team Cardiff City.[9]

At the Welsh club, Olofinjana was reunited with Dave Jones, who had originally brought him into English football when manager of Wolves. The midfielder featured regularly as the team reached the promotion play-offs but lost to Reading. After a total of 42 senior appearances for Cardiff, including their two games in the play-offs,[10] it was announced that he would return to Hull following the loan spell.[11]

Back at Hull, a lengthy knee injury meant that Olofinjana made only five appearances during the 2011–12 season.[12] Although he featured more regularly for the club during the following campaign, he was unable to retain a regular place in their team and was instead loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday in March 2013 until the season's conclusion.[13]

At the conclusion of the 2012–13 season Olofinjana's contract with Hull City expired, leaving him a free agent.[14] He left having made 40 appearances during a four-season stay.[15]

Sheffield Wednesday

Following his release from Hull, Olofinjana joined Sheffield Wednesday on 26 October 2013 and played in a 1–1 draw against Barnsley.[16][17]

After making four appearances, Olofinjana had his loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday extended for another month.[18] Olofinjana made seven appearances and made his last appearance for the club as an unused substitute on 26 December 2013, in a match against Blackburn Rovers. On the same day, Olofinjana apparently left the club upon the expiry of his contract.[19]

Start

After spending eight months without a club, Olofinjana joined Start in Tippeligaen until the season, where he will be reunited with Mons Ivar Mjelde, who he knew during his time at Brann.[20][21]

After retirement

In August 2015 Olofinjana started working at Wolverhampton Wanderers's Academy.[22] In February 2019, he was the Loans Pathway Manager at the club.[23]

In April 2021, Olofinjana left Wolves for Swiss side Grasshopper Club Zürich, becoming their new sporting director.[24] He resigned and left on 20 June 2022.[25]

Career statistics

Club

Source:[15]

Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
SK Brann 2003[26] Tippeligaen 25930——289
2004[26] Tippeligaen 9220——112
Total 341140—003811
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2004–05[27] Championship 4252020—465
2005–06[28] Championship 1300010—140
2006–07[29] Championship 44831102[lower-alpha 1]15010
2007–08[30] Championship 3631000—373
Total 1351661402114718
Stoke City 2008–09[31] Premier League 1821020—212
Hull City 2009–10[32] Premier League 1910000—191
2010–11[33] Championship 000000—00
2011–12[34] Championship 302000—50
2012–13[35] Championship 1203010—160
Total 341501000401
Cardiff City (loan) 2010–11[33] Championship 39600102[lower-alpha 1]0426
Sheffield Wednesday (loan) 2012–13[35] Championship 600000—60
Sheffield Wednesday 2013–14[36] Championship 700000—70
Total 130000000130
Start 2014[37] Tippeligaen 7000——70
Career total 28036171804130738

International

Source:[38]

National teamYearAppsGoals
Nigeria 200220
200340
2004120
200550
200620
200770
200870
200980
201010
Total480

Honors

Nigeria

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Mainstream Publishing. p. 319. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  2. ↑ "Seyi Olofinjana". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  3. ↑ James Gheerbant (5 July 2014). "Premier League: What happens to footballers after being rejected". BBC. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Profiles". Hull City A.F.C. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "Seyi Olofinjana: Hull City FC". Sporting Heroes Collection Ltd. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "Stoke sign midfielder Olofinjana". BBC Sport. 26 July 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  7. ↑ "Stoke's Olofinjana set for Monaco". BBC Sport. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  8. ↑ Ornstein, David (8 November 2009). "Hull 2–1 Stoke". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  9. ↑ "Cardiff City sign Hull's Seyi Olofinjana on loan". BBC Sport. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  10. ↑ "20. Seyi Olofinjana". Soccerbase. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  11. ↑ "Confirmation: 2011 Retained List". Cardiff City F.C. 11 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  12. ↑ "Seyi Olofinjana comes in from the cold". Hull Daily Mail. 20 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012.
  13. ↑ "Seyi Olofinjana: Sheffield Wednesday sign Hull midfielder". BBC Sport. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "Hull release Olofinjana". Supersport.com. 17 May 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Seyi Olofinjana". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  16. ↑ "Olofinjana signs". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ↑ "Barnsley 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  18. ↑ "Olofinjana extends". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 28 November 2013. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. ↑ "Matchday Live". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 26 December 2013. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  20. ↑ "Start-forsterkning klar" (in Norwegian). IK Start. 8 August 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  21. ↑ "Tidligere Premier League-spiller klar for Start" (in Norwegian). Dag Bladet. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  22. ↑ "Wolves blog: Return of the pack". Express and Star. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  23. ↑ "Seyi Olofinjana". Wolves. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  24. ↑ "Wolves loan manager Seyi Olofinjana to join Grasshoppers". The Athletic. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "GC ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO ITS MANAGEMENT". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  26. 1 2 "Seyi George Olofinjana" (in Norwegian). SK Brann. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  27. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  28. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  30. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  31. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  32. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  33. 1 2 "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  34. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  35. 1 2 "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  37. ↑ "Games played by Seyi Olofinjana in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  38. ↑ Seyi Olofinjana at National-Football-Teams.com
  39. ↑ "African Nations Cup 2010 - Final Tournament Details".
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