Onome Sodje

Onome Sympson Sodje (born 17 July 1988) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker. He has played professionally for clubs in England, Slovakia, Malta, Vietnam, Algeria and Albania.

Onome Sodje
Sodje after playing for York City in the 2009 FA Trophy Final
Personal information
Full name Onome Sympson Sodje[1]
Date of birth (1988-07-17) 17 July 1988[1]
Place of birth Warri, Nigeria
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
0000–2005 Charlton Athletic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Charlton Athletic 0 (0)
2005 → Welling United (loan) 6 (1)
2005 → Gravesend & Northfleet (loan) 8 (2)
2006 → Gravesend & Northfleet (loan) 6 (1)
2006–2007 Gravesend & Northfleet 39 (9)
2007–2009 York City 81 (21)
2009–2010 Barnsley 1 (0)
2009–2010 → Oxford United (loan) 4 (1)
2010 Senica 14 (1)
2011 Đồng Nai
2011–2012 Floriana 10 (5)
2012–2013 Belouizdad 13 (1)
2013–2014 Partizani Tirana 3 (1)
2014–2015 Nuneaton Town 29 (4)
2015–2016 Billericay Town ? (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:49, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Career

Born in Warri, Delta State,[1] Sodje came through the Charlton Athletic youth system|. He scored 14 goals in 19 games in the 2003–04 U17 FA Premier Academy League. He spent time on loan at Welling United towards the end of the 2004–05 season.[3] He then went out on loan to Conference National team Gravesend & Northfleet in September 2005.[4] He rejoined Gravesend for a second loan period in February 2006.[5]

He was released by Charlton in 2006 and eventually signed for Gravesend & Northfleet permanently in August.[6]

Sodje playing for York City in 2007

Sodje signed for fellow Conference Premier club York City on 18 June 2007 on a free transfer.[7] He was joint top goalscorer with 17 goals in the 2007–08 season.[8] Sodje won the first Conference Premier Goal of the Month award in September 2008 with a goal against Torquay United, which won with 30% of the vote.[9] He came on as a 63rd minute substitute in the FA Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium on 9 May 2009, which York lost 2–0 to Stevenage Borough.[10] He was largely restricted to the bench as his form dipped during the 2008–09 season,[11] which he finished with 46 appearances and seven goals.[12]

Sodje signed for Championship team Barnsley on 15 June 2009.[13] He was allowed to move on a free transfer as he was playing at York on a non-contract basis.[14] His contract status was due to his lack of a valid work permit, connected to an ongoing dispute with immigration officials over his right to reside in the UK. York spent £5,000 on legal fees to fight his case which also attracted the support of the Archbishop of York John Sentamu and MP Hugh Bayley. After winning the right to stay in the country he chose to move to Barnsley rather than sign the contract offered by York.[15]

He made his debut as a 79th-minute substitute in a 2–0 defeat to Coventry City on 15 August.[16] He joined Conference Premier leaders Oxford United on an emergency loan on 23 November and made his debut a day later as a substitute in a 1–0 victory over Forest Green Rovers.[17][18] He scored his first goal in a 1–1 with Salisbury City, which put Oxford in the lead on 79 minutes.[19] Oxford confirmed his loan would not be extended in January 2010.[20] He joined Slovak Superliga team FK Senica in January,[21] scoring a header on his debut in a 2–1 victory over MFK Ružomberok in February.[22] Sodje finished the 2009–10 season with one goal in 13 appearances.[23] He made only appearance in the 2010–11 season,[2] in a 0–0 draw at MŠK Žilina on 21 August.[24] He later signed with Vietnamese First Division club Đồng Nai.[25] Sodje joined Floriana of the Maltese Premier League in December and scored on his debut, a 4–2 victory over Ħamrun Spartans.[26] In July 2012, he joined Algerian club CR Belouizdad, signing a three-year contract.[27] He scored one goal in 13 games in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1, before being released at the end of the season.

Following his release from Belouizdad, Sodje signed for Albanian Superliga club Partizani Tirana.[28] Sodje scored on his debut for Partizani Tirana on 18 September 2013, in their 2–2 draw against Bylis Ballsh.[29]

In October 2014 he returned to England, signing for Nuneaton Town.[30]

Sodje joined Billericay Town for the 2015–16 season, scoring 7 goals for the club.[31]

Personal life

He moved to England at the age of 14 and attended Sedgehill School in south-east London.[3] Sodje's uncles, Sam, Efe, Akpo, and Steve all play football in England as well.[32] Another uncle Bright is a former professional rugby league footballer.[32]

Career statistics
Sodje playing for York City in 2008
As of 21 August 2010.
Club Season League[A] FA Cup League Cup Other[B] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Welling United (loan) 2004–05[33] 6100000061
Gravesend & Northfleet (loan) 2005–06[34] 8210000092
6100000061
Gravesend & Northfleet 2006–07[35] 399100020429
Total 53122000205712
York City 2007–08[36] 45142200815517
2008–09[12] 367200080467
Total 8121420016110124
Barnsley 2009–10[37] 1000000010
Oxford United (loan) 2009–10[38] 4100001051
FK Senica 2009–10[23] 131000000131
2010–11[2] 1000000010
Total 141000000141
Career total 15936620019118439
A. ^ The "League" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Football League, Football Conference and Slovak Superliga.
B. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Conference League Cup and FA Trophy.

References
  1. "Onome Sodje". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  2. "O. Sodje". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  3. "Another Sodje joins the ranks". Non-League Daily. 21 March 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2007.
  4. "Fleet manager hails Sodje signing". BBC Sport. 9 September 2005. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  5. "Fleet target permanent Sodje deal". BBC Sport. 16 February 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  6. "Gravesend bring in two new faces". BBC Sport. 25 August 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  7. "York snap up Sodje and Robinson". BBC Sport. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  8. Flett, Dave (30 April 2008). "York City 2007/08 season review". The Press. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  9. "York's Sodje wins best goal award". BBC Sport. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  10. "Stevenage 2–0 York". BBC Sport. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  11. Flett, Dave (14 May 2009). "York City season review 2008/9". The Press. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  12. Appearances and goals for this season are taken from:
    "Season 2008/2009". Sportbox.tv. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
    Flett, Dave (27 October 2008). "York City 0, Mansfield 0 (FAC4Q)". The Press. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
    Flett, Dave (29 October 2008). "Mansfield 1, York City 0". The Press. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
    Carroll, Steve (23 February 2009). "Daniel McBreen's double strike ignites York City's Wembley dream in the FA Trophy". The Press. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
    Flett, Dave (16 March 2009). "Prospect of a Wembley outing in the FA Trophy final provides a welcome fillip for York City". The Press. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
    Flett, Dave (23 March 2009). "Wembley here we come... York City beat Telford United to book a place in the FA Trophy final". The Press. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  13. Flett, Dave (15 June 2009). "York City striker Onome Sodje signs for Barnsley". The Press. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  14. Flett, Dave (17 June 2009). "York City hit out at Onome Sodje in row over shock transfer to Barnsley". The Press. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  15. Waterson, James (8 December 2009). "Transfer Blame". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  16. "Barnsley 0 – 2 Coventry". BBC Sport. 15 August 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  17. "Striker Sodje seals Oxford loan". BBC Sport. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  18. "Forest Green 0–1 Oxford United". BBC Sport. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  19. "Salisbury City 1–1 Oxford United". BBC Sport. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  20. "Perry and Sodje to leave Oxford". BBC Sport. 29 December 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  21. "Barnsley striker Onome Sodje set to make Slovakia move". BBC Sport. 23 January 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  22. "Futbal: Corgoň liga – Senica – Ružomberok" (in Slovak). TA3. 27 February 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  23. "Onome Sodje" (in Slovak). FK Senica. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  24. "Žilina vs. Senica 0 – 0". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  25. Aiyejina, Tana (1 September 2011). "Sodje hails Kayode Atletico move". Punch on the Web. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  26. "Match Day 15: Floriana 4 Hamrun Spartans 2". Floriana F.C. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  27. "Algerian deal excites Onome Sodje". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  28. "Ex Charlton Youth – Teamer Onome Sodje Explains Why He Joined Partizani Tirana". allnigeriasoccer.com/. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  29. "Partizani Tirana 2 – 2 Bylis Ballsh". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  30. "Nuneaton Town: Liam Daish signs Onome Sodje for second time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  31. "BTFC History: 2015-16 Season". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  32. Carroll, Steve (19 June 2007). "McEwan back to work with two signings". The Press. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  33. "Player Details: Season 2004–2005". SoccerFactsUK. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  34. "Season 2005/2006". Sportbox.tv. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  35. "Season 2006/2007". Sportbox.tv. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  36. Batters. York City The Complete Record. pp. 411–421.
  37. "Season 2009/2010". Sportbox.tv. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  38. "All appearances for Onome Sodje". Rage Online. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
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