Jerry Mbakogu

Jerry Uche Mbakogu (born 1 October 1992) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker or winger for Italian Serie C Group A club Legnago.[3]

Jerry Mbakogu
Mbakogu with Krylia Sovetov in 2016
Personal information
Full name Jerry Uche Mbakogu[1]
Date of birth (1992-10-01) 1 October 1992
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker, winger
Team information
Current team
 Legnago
Number 90
Youth career
2003–2006 Scorzè Peseggia
2006–2010 Padova
2009–2010 → Palermo (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2014 Padova 1 (0)
2010–2013 → Juve Stabia (loan) 71 (13)
2013–2014 → Carpi (loan) 28 (7)
2014–2018 Carpi 92 (28)
2016 → Krylia Sovetov (loan) 7 (0)
2019 Padova 10 (3)
2019–2020 Osijek 7 (0)
2021 Cosenza 6 (0)
2022 Apollon Smyrnis 5 (0)
2022–2023 Gubbio 19 (4)
2023 Triestina 13 (1)
2023– Legnago 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 April 2023

Club career

Padova

Mbakogu was born in Lagos, but moved to Italy at an early age to Scorzè Peseggia.[4] In 2006, aged 14, he joined Padova's youth setup, and progressed through the ranks. In 2009 he was loaned to Palermo and assigned to the Primavera squad.

On 28 August 2010, Mbakogu made his Serie B debut, starting in a 1–1 draw at Crotone.

Juve Stabia (loan)

Three days after making his debut, he was loaned to Serie B side Juve Stabia.[5] Mbakogu spent three years on loan at Juve Stabia, including winning the Coppa Italia Lega Pro the 2010–11 season, scoring 13 goals in 71 games, before returning to Padova.

Carpi (loan)

On 2 September 2013, Mbakogu joined Carpi on loan.[6] Mbakogu helped Carpi to their highest ever league finish, scoring seven times in 28 appearances, as the Biancorossi ended the season in 12th.

Carpi

On 23 July 2014, Mbakogu moved to Carpi in a permanent transfer, signing a five-year contract with the Serie B side.[7] At the end of the 2014–15 season he was named in the Serie B 'Team of the season' after scoring 15 league goals in 30 games[8] helping the club to a historic promotion to Serie A.[9] After promotion, Mbakogu stayed at Carpi, with Carpi competing in Serie A for the 2015–16 season, which saw Mbakogu feature 24 times, scoring twice during the season for the club, with Serie A goals against Sampdoria and Lazio during the season.[10]

Krylya Sovetov loan

On 10 August 2016, Mbakogu was loaned to Krylya Sovetov in the Russian Premier League on a season long loan deal, with a deal in place for him to join permanently for 2 million pounds were he to impress over the course of the season.[11] He made his debut on 21 August 2016, in a 0–0 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow. He played a further six times for the side without scoring. After manager Franky Vercauteren was sacked on 1 November 2016, Mbakogu did not play under his successor Vadim Skripchenko before returning to Carpi.

Return to Carpi

However, in January 2017 Carpi recalled Mbakogu to the club and he returned to training on 1 February 2017,[12] upon his return, he went on to score 5 times in 20 appearances for the club, helping Carpi reach the Serie B playoffs, as they narrowly missed out on promotion at the expense of Benevento to gain promotion to Serie A after losing the two legged playoff final 1–0 on aggregate.[13]

With Carpi performing well in Serie B, and Mbakogu scoring 8 goals in his first 22 games of the season in all competitions during the 2017–18 season, in January 2018, Mbakogu was subject of interest from English side Leeds United. On 31 January 2018, Leeds United agreed an 'option' with Carpi to sign the player at the end of the 2017–18 season should they wish to execute the right.[14]

He picked up a knee injury for Carpi in February 2018, and was sent to Barcelona for medical treatment on the injury.[15] In May 2018, Carpi President Stefan Bonacini said Leeds had until the 30 June to exercise the option to sign Mbakogu.[16] On 20 June, it was reported that Leeds were negotiating the transfer fee.[17] The transfer to Leeds failed to materialise, and on 6 August Mbakogu was released from his Carpi contract by mutual consent.[18]

Return to Padova

On 8 January 2019, he returned to his first club Padova until the end of the 2018–19 season.[19] He scored twice on his Padova debut on 20 January in a 3–0 defeat of Verona.[20]

Cosenza

On 31 January 2021 he joined Serie B club Cosenza.[21]

Apollon Smyrnis

On 19 February 2022, Mbakogu signed with Apollon Smyrnis in Greece.[22]

Serie C

In the summer of 2022, Mbagoku joined Gubbio who compete in Serie C, Group B.[23]

On 31 January 2023, Mbagoku moved to Triestina, who were bottom of the table in Serie C.[24]

On 7 August 2023, Mbakogu signed a one-year contract with Legnago.[25]

International career

With Mbakogu applying for Italian dual citizenship for the summer of 2018. He declared he was still wanting to represent the country of his birth Nigeria at international level.[26]

He received Italian citizenship towards the end of April 2018, making his eligible for a European passport and if he was to change allegiance the Italy national side.[27][28] As of September 2022, he has yet to receive a call-up to the Italy national side.

Honours

Juve Stabia

Carpi

Individual

References
  1. Jerry Mbakogu at Soccerway
  2. "Jerry Mbakogu". Whoscored.com. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  3. "Football (Sky Sports)". Skysports.com.
  4. "Football Whispers: Latest transfer news, rumours and tips". Footballwhispers.com. 22 September 2020.
  5. Raimondi e Mbakogu in prestito alla Juve Stabia (Raimondi and Mbakogu on loan to Juve Stabia) Archived 12 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Padova's official website, 31 August 2010 (in Italian)
  6. Mbakogu in prestito al Carpi (Mbakogu on loan to Carpi) Archived 10 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine; Padova's official website, 2 September 2013 (in Italian)
  7. "QUINQUENNALE A MBAKOGU" (in Italian). Carpi F.C. 1909. 28 July 2014. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  8. "Agent Urges Napoli to Sign New Didier Drogba, Jerry Mbakogu". Allnigeriasoccer.com.
  9. "Minnows Carpi seal Serie a promotion". BBC Sport.
  10. "Player - | Lega Serie A". Legaseriea.it.
  11. "Russian Club Sovetov Sign Mbakogu on Loan". 10 August 2016.
  12. "Official : Carpi Recall Jerry Mbakogu from Loan Spell in Russia". Allnigeriasoccer.com.
  13. "Playoff Serie B, Benevento-Carpi 1-0: highlights". Sky Italia. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  14. "Leeds set for more contract talks with youngster Pearce". Yorkshire Evening Post. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  15. Fabio Garagnani (23 April 2018). "Torna Mbakogu, con l'Avellino ci sarà". Gazzetta Di Modena. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  16. "Leeds United: Carpi set Whites a deadline to sign striker Mbakogu". Yorkshire Evening Post. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  17. "Leeds United ask for discount on signing, and have good chance of getting their way". Sports Witness. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  18. "Contractual resolution with Mbakogu" (in Italian). Carpi. 6 August 2018. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  19. "Jerry Mbakogu è un giocatore del Calcio Padova" [Jerry Mbakogu is a player of Padova] (in Italian). Padova. 8 January 2019.
  20. "Padova v Verona game report". Soccerway. 20 January 2019.
  21. "JERRY MBAKOGU È UN NUOVO ATTACCANTE DEL COSENZA!" (in Italian). Cosenza. 31 January 2021.
  22. "Στον Απόλλωνα Manuel Fernandes, Jerry Mbakogu" (Press release) (in Greek). Apollon Smyrnis F.C. 19 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  23. "Cresce la rosa dei lupi: tesserati anche Bonini e Mbakogu" (in Italian). Gubbio. 23 July 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  24. "Jerry Mbakogu è un nuovo giocatore della Triestina" (in Italian). Triestina. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  25. "Mbakogu è nostro!" [Mbakogu is ours!] (in Italian). Legnago. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  26. Ifeanyi Emmanuel (29 January 2018). "Nigerian Passport Stops Jerry Mbakogu From Joining Leeds, Pledges Future To Nigeria". All Nigeria Soccer. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  27. "Leeds United: Whites still in hunt for £4m striker Mbakogu". Yorkshire Evening Post. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  28. "Jerry Mbakogu è diventato "comunitario": ottenuta la cittadinanza italiana oggi a Venezia". Ilmostardino.it. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
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