Corrie Ndaba

Corrie Richard Ndaba (born 25 December 1999) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Kilmarnock, on loan from Ipswich Town.

Corrie Ndaba
Personal information
Full name Corrie Richard Ndaba[1]
Date of birth (1999-12-25) 25 December 1999
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Kilmarnock (on loan from Ipswich Town)
Number 3
Youth career
Palmerstown
Cherry Orchard
2016–2019 Ipswich Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019– Ipswich Town 0 (0)
2019 → Hemel Hempstead Town (loan) 1 (0)
2019–2020 → Chelmsford City (loan) 0 (0)
2021 → Ayr United (loan) 13 (0)
2021–2022 → Salford City (loan) 29 (2)
2022–2023 → Burton Albion (loan) 7 (0)
2023 → Fleetwood Town (loan) 8 (0)
2023– → Kilmarnock (loan) 5 (0)
International career‡
2016 Republic of Ireland U18 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:24, 31 January 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:31, 6 September 2020 (UTC)

Ndaba made his professional debut while on loan with Scottish club Ayr United, and was voted as the Supporters Player of the Year while on loan to Salford City, and has also spent time at Burton Albion.

Internationally, Ndaba has played for the Republic of Ireland U18 team, and has also received a call up from Stephen Kenny to the U21 team.

Club career

Ipswich Town

Ndaba joined the Ipswich Town Academy as a scholar in 2016.[2] He featured regularly for Ipswich's U23s during the 2018–19 season as Ipswich won the Professional Development League South Division.[3] He signed his first professional contract in February 2019, signing a three-year deal with the option of an additional year extension.[4] Upon signing the contract, Ipswich manager Paul Lambert said that because Ndaba was left-footed, he had a chance to make it at the club if he improved his physique.[5]

In November, it was announced that he was to move on loan to National League South team Chelmsford City for one month,[6] but the move was delayed due to financial difficulties suffered by Chelmsford. Instead, he and teammate Bailey Clements were sent on loan to Hemel Hempstead Town for a month, where they were managed by former Ipswich player Sammy Moore.[7] After his loan at Hemel Hempstead ended, he finally joined Chelmsford for a month.[8] In January 2020, he was set to move on loan to Scottish Championship team Ayr United with teammate Aaron Drinan,[9] but the move fell through due to his two prior loan spells earlier in the season.[10]

Ndaba made his first-team debut for Ipswich on 5 September 2020, featuring as a second-half substitute in a 3–0 home win over Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup.[11] On 7 January 2021, Ndaba joined Ayr United on loan from the remainder of the 2020–21 season.[12] He made his debut for Ayr on 23 January, keeping a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw away at Dunfermline Athletic.[13] Ndaba was one of several Ayr defenders described by manager David Hopkin as "embarrassing" following a 3–0 defeat to Dundee on 6 April.[14] He made 14 appearances during his loan spell at Ayr.[15] Ndaba described his time at Ayr as "a good experience for me", adding that the football was "very physical up there and as a young centre-half it’s good for me to experience that".[16]

It's been unbelievable for me, I don’t really have words to describe it. The love they've shown throughout the whole season, I've never experienced anything like this, so I can only thank them. Chanting my name every game, even in the town, it's just unbelievable.

—Ndaba talking about being a fan favourite at Salford City[17]

Salford City (loan)

On 21 August 2021, Ndaba moved on loan to League Two team Salford City.[18] On 27 August, he signed a new two-year contract with Ipswich, extending his stay at the club until 2023 with the option of an additional one-year extension.[19] Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, Ndaba said his loan move was necessary for experience; "I'm physically ready but there are a lot of things you need to learn. This loan will benefit me and give me a better chance", and noting that the football played is "physical but we try to play as well... it's a mixture of that and it's going to benefit me".[20] On 3 April 2022, he scored his first senior goal, the opening goal in a 2–0 away win against Hartlepool United.[21] At the end of Salford's season, Ndaba was voted as the Supporters' Player of the Year.[22] In total, he made 30 appearances in both his natural position of centre-back and at left-back, where he earned rave reviews,[23] and scored two goals.[17]

Burton Albion and Fleetwood loans

On 27 July, Ndaba signed a new three-year contract with Ipswich Town.[24] On 19 August, Ndaba signed for Burton Albion on a season-long loan.[25] On 31 January, Ndaba's loan was terminated and he joined Fleetwood Town until the end of the season.[26]

International career

Born in Ireland, Ndaba is of South African descent.[27] He won one cap for the Republic of Ireland U18 side in 2016. In March 2019, he was called up by Stephen Kenny to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for European Championships qualifiers.[28]

Style of play

Ndaba began his career as a centre midfielder at Cherry Orchard, but was converted to a centre defender upon signing for Ipswich. He is a quick player, who uses his strength and good positional sense to perform well in defence.[29] He is a left-footed player, and was a captain in youth football due to his vocal nature.[30] His manager at Ayr United, Mark Kerr, described him as "a big, strong, athletic defender who is quick and good on the ball",[31] and his manager at Salford, Gary Bowyer, described him similarly as a player with "great pace, he's a ball-playing centre-half, but he's competitive as well".[16] Former Ipswich manager Paul Cook praised his willingness to get involved, saying "he’s naturally aggressive, he wants to engage and have contact".[32] In 2021, Ndaba described himself as "a modern day centre-half. I can play, I’m aggressive, I’m tall, so I have a bit of everything really".[16]

Honours

Salford City

References
  1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Ipswich Town" (PDF). English Football League. p. 36. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  2. "Town Announce New Scholars". TWTD. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  3. "U23s Confirmed as League Winners". TWTD. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  4. "Ndaba Signs First Pro Deal". TWTD. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  5. Warren, Andy (21 February 2019). "'This club has lost left-footed defenders... it was impossible to lose another' - Lambert on new pro Ndaba". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  6. Watson, Stuart (1 November 2019). "Ndaba joins Cotter on loan at Chelmsford". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  7. Warren, Andy (8 November 2019). "Youngsters Ndaba and Clements make non-league loan move... linking up with a former Ipswich player and a 90s football cult hero". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. Warren, Andy (6 December 2019). "Young defender Ndaba heads to Chelmsford on one-month loan". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. Watson, Stuart (27 January 2020). "Ndaba the latest Town player to link up with Ayr United". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  10. Warren, Andy (30 January 2020). "Frustration for Ndaba as loan move to Ayr falls through". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. Claydon, Russell (5 September 2020). "Ipswich Town cruise through Carabao Cup tie against Bristol Rovers to open season in style at Portman Road". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  12. "Ndaba Joins Ayr on Loan". Ipswich Town FC. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  13. "Dunfermline Athletic 0 – 0 Ayr United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  14. Wilson, Stuart (7 April 2021). "David Hopkin blasts Ayr United's 'embarrassing' defending as Dundee ease to Somerset Park win". Daily Record. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  15. "Games played by Corrie Ndaba in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  16. Dollery, Paul (21 August 2021). "League Two loan move for young Irish defender Corrie Ndaba". The42. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  17. "Ndaba, Morris and Tete on Target". Those Were The Days. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  18. "Ipswich's Ndaba joins Salford on loan". BBC Sport. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  19. "Corrie Ndaba: Ipswich defender agrees new deal with League One club". BBC Sport. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  20. Warren, Andy (21 September 2021). "Ndaba on Salford, Neville's advice, his brush with Ronaldo-mania and his goal of reaching the Ipswich Town first-team". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  21. Bacon, Mike (3 April 2022). "On-loan Ipswich star hammers home his first senior goal". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  22. Watson, Stuart (2 May 2022). "Ndaba named Salford City Supporters' Player of the Year". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  23. Warren, Andy (12 April 2022). "Ndaba has had three failed cracks at the Town first-team... he's better equipped than ever for attempt four". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  24. "NEW CONTRACT FOR CORRIE". www.itfc.co.uk. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  25. "Burton sign Ipswich defender Ndaba on loan". BBC Sport. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  26. "Corrie Ndaba joins Town on loan until the end of the season". www.fleetwoodtownfc.com. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  27. Lewis, Kyle. "Manchester City to sign South African-born star?". KickOff.
  28. "Cotter, Ndaba and Drinan in Irish U21s Squad". TWTD. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  29. Warren, Andy (4 February 2019). "Young defender Ndaba offered professional deal by Ipswich Town". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  30. Warren, Andy (17 April 2019). "'I have to see what he can do... he will definitely get his chance' - Lambert ready to give Ndaba an Ipswich debut". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  31. Apicella, Liam (7 January 2021). "Ipswich Town defender Corrie Ndaba heads to Ayr United on loan". Suffolk News. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  32. "Cook: Ndaba Has Been Doing Really Well". Those Were The Days. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  33. "Ndaba named Salford City Supporters' Player of the Year". East Anglian Daily Times. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
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