Little known Chinedu Ekene was among the list of foreign based players called up by coach of the Nigeria U20 team Paul Aigbogun ahead of the World Youth Championship in Poland.
Owngoalnigeria.com did a quick search on the 19 year old and from our checks, the Hoffenheim teen forward first tasted professional football with Bayern Leverkusen when at the age of 17, he signed his first professional contract.
” At that time I was at my peak in terms of performance and after training with the senior team, the former coach of Bayern Leverkusen Roger Schmidt came to me and asked about my contract situation after that it was very fast. I signed my first professional contract “, Ekene told Owngoalnigeria.com.
He was however prevented from staking a claim in the first team of Bayern Leverkusen due to a knee injury and he was out for 14 months and even when he returned. His form and performance in the 8 games he played wasn’t up to the required level. Hence his decision to leave for Hoffenheim.
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This season he has scored three goals from 18 games as he bid to return to the form which saw him represent Germany at U15, U16 and U17 level. At 16 years old he scored ten goals in 13 games for the youth team of Bayern Leverkusen.
Injuries have not been fair to the German-Nigerian forward but he is determined never to give up on his dream of becoming a professional footballer at the highest level ” I have never pitied myself because there are always people who are even worse off and doubts is not a question to me because I know what I want and I can not just give up”, he concluded.
Daniel Martins