Frank Onyeka Profile: Club, Market Value And Honors

Ogochukwu Frank Onyeka, born on January 1, 1998, is a Nigerian professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Premier League club Brentford and the Nigeria national team.

Onyeka was born in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, and is the second oldest among his five siblings. Growing up, Onyeka faced some challenges in his football journey.

His mother was not very supportive of him playing football when he was young. She preferred that he focused on his studies because she felt that the chances of becoming a successful football player were very slim.

Despite this, Onyeka pursued his passion for football and worked hard to achieve his dreams. Today, he is known for his strong defensive skills and ability to control the midfield.

Onyeka’s journey from a small city in Nigeria to playing in one of the top football leagues in the world is truly inspiring.

Frank Onyeka Club Career:

Frank Onyeka’s career in football began at a young age. At just 15, he played for a local club called Faith Motors Academy.

It was there that he caught the eye of Churchill Oliseh, the owner and manager of FC Ebedei. Oliseh is also known for discovering Obafemi Martins.

Before moving to FC Ebedei, Onyeka had to support his family by doing roofing work. His move to Ebedei, which is more than 250 kilometers away from his home in Benin City, was his first time being away from home.

This distance and his previous responsibilities made the transition difficult, but Onyeka stayed focused on his dreams.

This experience helped him develop a strong and resilient mindset. In January 2016, Onyeka moved from FC Ebedei in Nigeria to FC Midtjylland in Denmark.

This club is in the Danish Superliga and has a cooperation agreement with FC Ebedei. Onyeka quickly became an important player for Midtjylland.

He made his first-team debut on 20 September 2017 in a Danish Cup match against Greve Fodbold, where his team won 7–0 and he scored a goal.

A few months later, he made his debut in the Danish Superliga on 9 February 2018, in a match against AC Horsens. Onyeka scored in this game too, contributing to a 2–0 victory.

On 18 February 2018, he scored his second league goal in a match against FC Copenhagen, one of the top teams in the Superliga.

Midtjylland won the game 3–1, and Onyeka’s ability to play in different positions on the field earned him praise from his head coach, Jess Thorup.

In the following season, Onyeka made his debut in the UEFA Champions League during a qualifier against Astana FC on 24 July 2018.

On 20 July 2021, Onyeka signed with Brentford, a newly promoted Premier League team. The fee for his transfer was not disclosed.

However, Onyeka made his competitive debut for Brentford on 13 August 2021, in the first match of the Premier League season.

He started in a 2–0 victory against Arsenal, marking Brentford’s first-ever Premier League win. In his first seasons at Brentford, Onyeka faced challenges in securing a regular spot in the first team.

Injuries often kept him on the sidelines, and he mainly appeared as a substitute. Despite these challenges, Brentford showed their faith in Onyeka by offering him a new four-year contract on 7 August 2023, keeping him at the club until 2027.

Onyeka scored his first goal for Brentford on 13 April 2024, helping his team to a 2–0 win over Sheffield United. This goal helped Brentford secure their first win in 10 consecutive Premier League games.

Frank Onyeka International Career:

Frank Onyeka’s international football career with the Nigeria national team began on 22 September 2020. He was chosen to play in friendly matches against Algeria and Tunisia in Austria on 5 and 9 October 2020.

Onyeka made his debut for Nigeria on 9 October 2020, playing in a friendly match against Algeria. Nigeria lost that game 1-0.

However, Onyeka’s international career had more memorable moments ahead. On 16 October 2023, he scored his first goal for Nigeria in an exciting 3-2 win over Mozambique.

One of Onyeka’s major achievements with the Nigerian team was during the 2023 African Cup of Nations. The tournament was a remarkable success for Nigeria as they emerged as runners-up.

Throughout the tournament, Onyeka’s performance was outstanding, having started in all seven of Nigeria’s games. Frank Onyeka’s international career highlights his development as a key player for Nigeria.

From his debut in 2020 to scoring his first goal in 2023 and playing an important part in the African Cup of Nations, Onyeka has made significant contributions to the national team.

Frank Onyeka Market Value:

Frank Onyeka’s current market value is €9.00 million. His highest market value was €10.00 million, which he reached on December 23, 2021. However, the most recent update to his market value was on May 27, 2024.

Frank Onyeka Honors:

Midtjylland

2017–18, 2019–20^:Danish Superliga
2018–19: Danish Cup

Nigeria

2023: Africa Cup of Nations runner-up

Pataka

Pataka is a consistent and avid follower of the round leather game. He communicates his passion by editing soccer posts for various soccer platforms.