Despite his tender years Maduka Okoye has plenty of experience at a top level, and the 22-year-old is looking forward to continuing his development at Watford.
The young goalkeeper has signed a five-and-a-half year deal with the Hornets that will come into effect on January 1, 2022, while he will link up with his new teammates next summer after completing a half-season loan with his current club, Sparta Rotterdam.
Here are some facts about the highly-rated Nigeria international…
- Name: Maduka Okoye
- Age: 22
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Former Clubs: Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, Fortuna Düsseldorf
- Current Club: Sparta Rotterdam
Position Change
Okoye has quickly become a goalkeeper of high quality, having impressed both in the Dutch Eredivisie and for his national team. But originally, Okoye was a striker, and only went in goal because the usual keeper was unavailable. Clearly the decision to go in between the sticks was a good one, as Okoye is now Nigeria’s No.1 stopper.
Baptism Of Fire
At the time of Okoye’s Nigeria debut, he was still playing in Fortuna Düsseldorf’s second team. Then 19, Okoye was brought on for the injured Francis Uzoho against Brazil with the score 1-1, and saw out the game without conceding despite facing off against Premier League forwards Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison for the last half-hour.
Accolades Achieved
Sparta Rotterdam secured eighth place in the Eredivisie last season, having only been promoted to the Netherlands’ first division in 2019. This qualified Okoye’s side for the European play-off places in the Dutch top tier, and the Nigeria goalkeeper was presented with the club’s Player of the Year award. As well as his club achievement, Okoye was also named in the league’s team of the year.
The Ultimate Goal
Speaking to BBC Sport Africa in October Okoye expressed his pride at representing Nigeria, while emphasising how much he is looking forward to the Africa Cup of Nations in the new year. He also stated that his target was to play in England.
"These tournaments are going to be a huge platform for players like me. My ultimate goal is to hopefully play in the Premier League,” he said.
Senior Squad
Born in Düsseldorf and growing up a supporter of Fortuna Düsseldorf, Okoye was a regular for his local side’s second team in the Regionalliga. He was called up for the first team’s DFB-Pokal games in the 2019/20 season, and the matchday squads, despite being just 19 years old.
Photo credit: Carla Vos/Sparta
