Junior Pius

Junior Udeme Pius listenⓘ (born 20 December 1995) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Romanian Liga I club Botoșani as a central defender.

Junior Pius
Personal information
Full name Junior Udeme Pius[1]
Date of birth (1995-12-20) 20 December 1995[1]
Place of birth Eman, Nigeria[1]
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Botoșani
Number 40
Youth career
2013–2014 Porto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Porto B 0 (0)
2014–2015 → Aves (loan) 7 (0)
2015–2016 Cesarense 23 (1)
2016–2017 Sanjoanense 31 (4)
2017–2018 Tondela 3 (0)
2018–2019 Paços Ferreira 29 (3)
2019–2022 Antwerp 6 (2)
2021–2022 → Sint-Truiden (loan) 14 (0)
2023– Botoșani 20 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 October 2023

Club career

Born in Eman, Akwa Ibom, Pius finished his development in Portugal with FC Porto.[2] On 1 September 2014, he was loaned to C.D. Aves to kickstart his senior career,[3] making his Segunda Liga debut on 5 October in a 0–0 away draw against C.D. Santa Clara where he was sent off for two late bookable offences.[4]

Released by Porto at the end of the season, Pius took his game to the Portuguese third division, representing in quick succession F.C. Cesarense and A.D. Sanjoanense. In the summer of 2017 he moved straight to the Primeira Liga, signing a three-year contract with C.D. Tondela.[5] He played his first game in the latter competition on 16 September, when he came on as a 31st-minute substitute in a 2–0 away loss to Sporting CP.[6]

In December 2017, while nursing a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee contracted in a friendly against S.C. Covilhã two months earlier,[7] Pius was caught stealing from a fund containing player fines of various types, this allegedly being the third time the incident had occurred with him. He was immediately suspended by the club, also being forbidden from attending its facilities.[8]

Honours

Paços de Ferreira

Antwerp

References
  1. "J. Pius" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  2. "Júnior Pius a ser negociado" [Negotiations for Júnior Pius]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 1 June 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  3. "FC Porto empresta Júnior Pius ao Desp. Aves" [FC Porto loan Júnior Pius to Desp. Aves]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 1 September 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  4. "Santa Clara-Aves, 0–0: Reinou a ineficácia" [Santa Clara-Aves, 0–0: Inefficiency ruled]. Record (in Portuguese). 5 October 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  5. "Tondela anuncia chegada de Junior Pius" [Tondela announce arrival of Junior Pius] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  6. "Sporting 2–0 Tondela" (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  7. "Tondela: Junior Pius com "época comprometida"" [Tondela: Junior Pius' "season in danger"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 14 October 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  8. Diogo, Conceição (8 December 2017). "Tondela proíbe Junior Pius de frequentar instalações do clube" [Tondela forbid Junior Pius from attending club's facilities]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  9. "Paços de Ferreira campeão da II Liga" [Paços de Ferreira II League champions]. O Minho (in Portuguese). 19 May 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  10. Van Laeken, Frank (3 August 2020). "Antwerp countert ideeëloos Club" [Antwerp best clueless Club]. De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2021.
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