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 Odejayi playing forAccrington Stanley in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Olukayode Ishmael Odejayi[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1982-02-21)21 February 1982 (age 43)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Ibadan, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1999 | Bristol City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2002 | Bristol City | 6 | (0) |
| 2001 | →Forest Green Rovers (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2002–2003 | Forest Green Rovers | 38 | (13) |
| 2003–2007 | Cheltenham Town | 148 | (30) |
| 2007–2010 | Barnsley | 72 | (4) |
| 2009 | →Scunthorpe United (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2009 | →Colchester United (loan) | 14 | (6) |
| 2010–2012 | Colchester United | 101 | (11) |
| 2012–2014 | Rotherham United | 42 | (5) |
| 2013–2014 | →Accrington Stanley (loan) | 32 | (8) |
| 2014–2015 | Tranmere Rovers | 40 | (5) |
| 2015–2017 | Stockport County | 70 | (8) |
| 2017–2019 | Guiseley | 66 | (7) |
| Total | 641 | (103) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008 | Nigeria | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12:31, 25 October 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:14, 18 July 2015 (UTC) | |||
Olukayode Ishmael "Kayode" Odejayi (born 21 February 1982) is a Nigerian professionalfootballer who plays as astriker, most recently forGuiseley. He is a formerNigeria international.
Born inIbadan,Oyo State, Odejayi started his career as a trainee atBristol City and then moved on toFootball Conference sideForest Green Rovers in 2002.2002–03 turned out to be one of Rovers' best ever season since their foundation in 1890, and Odejayi was a key figure, scoring 13 goals as the club finished ninth.
Bobby Gould signed Odejayi in the summer of the 2002/03 season for Cheltenham Town. His first two seasons were a struggle but in his third season(2005–06) he played almost every game as Cheltenham went on to reach the play-off final, winning 1–0 against fanciedGrimsby Town. He came to national attention in January 2006 when Cheltenham facedNewcastle United in theFA Cup 4th round. Odejayi gained plaudits after the game and he was linked with a move to Championship teamPlymouth Argyle however the move never materialised.
On 31 May 2007, Odejayi moved toBarnsley for a fee of £200,000, a Cheltenham record for a sale of a player. Forest Green Rovers received a windfall from the transfer as part of the terms of Odejayi's Cheltenham deal.[3]
He scored in the Reds' first friendly againstMorecambe in a 2–1 defeat. He then bagged a brace against Portuguese sideLouletano DC in a 3–2 win. In a 3–1 victory againstBuxton he bagged his fourth goal in three.
Odejayi netted his first competitive goal for Barnsley againstScunthorpe United which effectively sealed a 2–0 victory for the Reds.[4]
In January 2009, there was talk of him being pursued by Barnsley's South Yorkshire neighbours,Rotherham United.[5]
On 26 February he was loaned toScunthorpe. He played in 6 games scoring 1 goal against Walsall.[6]
He was loaned toColchester United on 16 September 2009 on a three-month emergency loan. He made a big impression at theWeston Homes Community Stadium, winning two penalties in his first game againstHartlepool United and then scoring a brace against high flyingCharlton Athletic. He also went on to score againstHuddersfield Town,Leyton Orient,Wycombe Wanderers,Bromley andOldham Athletic.
He set upJohn-Joe O'Toole's first Colchester goal in a 1–1 draw atTranmere Rovers, whilst Odejayi also assistedSimon Hackney's goal against Bromley in the FA Cup. His loan spell ended on 19 December with him having scored seven goals in sixteen games, six of which came in the Football League. When the January transfer window opened, Odejayi's loan form resulted in him being signed byAidy Boothroyd on a permanent deal, thus also becoming Aidy's first permanent signing for Colchester United.
On 24 December 2009 it was announced that Odejayi had signed for an undisclosed fee on a deal that would end in June 2012.[7] Odejayi scored his first goal as a full-timeColchester player in a 2–1 win againstCarlisle where he came off the bench to score the winner in stoppage time to keep the U's in their promotion hunt. He added two further goals againstBristol Rovers andYeovil before getting an injury after coming on as a sub againstWalsall. Odejayi was named as Colchester United's official player-of-the-season for the2011–12 season, having led the front-line with power and strength all campaign.[8]
On 15 May,Rotherham United completed the much-rumoured signing of Odejayi after talks with Steve Evans. He joined the Millers officially on 1 July. His first goal for the club came in the 3–0 win against Burton Albion on 18 August 2012, this was also the opening day of the New York Stadium, and, on his league debut for the club. His second came soon after to gain a point against Chesterfield, on 25 August 2012. However, only 5 goals all season grew to fans frustration asAlex Revell andDaniel Nardiello became the preferred striking partnership.
On 10 September 2013, Odejayi joinedLeague Two sideAccrington Stanley on a three-month loan.[9] On 1 January 2014, the loan was extended till the end of the 2013–14 League Two season.
On 26 June 2014, following Odejayi's departure from Rotherham United, he signed a one-year deal withTranmere Rovers.[10] At the end of the season, that saw Tranmere Rovers relegate out of League Two, Odejayi was released by the club.[11]
Following Odejayi's release from Tranmere, he signed for National League North sideStockport County on 15 July 2015.[12]
In July 2017 he signed forGuiseley.[13]
In May 2008, Odejayi made his first appearance for theNigerian national team, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 friendly draw againstAustria.[14]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bristol City | 1999–2000[15] | Second Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2000–01[16] | Second Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2001–02[17] | Second Division | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Forest Green Rovers (loan) | 2001–02[17] | Football Conference | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| Forest Green Rovers | 2002–03[18] | Football Conference | 38 | 13 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 40 | 13 | |
| Total | 44 | 14 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 48 | 14 | |||
| Cheltenham Town | 2003–04[19] | Third Division | 30 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 34 | 5 |
| 2004–05[20] | League Two | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2005–06[21] | League Two | 41 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | 56 | 13 | |
| 2006–07[22] | League One | 45 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2[a] | 1 | 51 | 15 | |
| Total | 148 | 30 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 174 | 34 | ||
| Barnsley | 2007–08[23] | Championship | 39 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 44 | 4 | |
| 2008–09[24] | Championship | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10[25] | Championship | 5 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 72 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 81 | 5 | |||
| Scunthorpe United (loan) | 2008–09[24] | League One | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | |||
| Colchester United | 2009–10[25] | League One | 28 | 9 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 10 | ||
| 2010–11[26] | League One | 44 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 50 | 4 | |
| 2011–12[27] | League One | 43 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1[a] | 0 | 47 | 5 | |
| Total | 115 | 17 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 126 | 19 | ||
| Rotherham United | 2012–13[28] | League Two | 42 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 5 |
| 2013–14[29] | League One | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 5 | ||
| Accrington Stanley (loan) | 2013–14[29] | League Two | 32 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 8 | ||
| Tranmere Rovers | 2014–15[30] | League Two | 40 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 1 | 46 | 7 |
| Stockport County | 2015–16[31] | National League North | 40 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 40 | 6 | |
| 2016–17[31] | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 1 | 33 | 3 | |||
| Total | 70 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 73 | 9 | ||
| Guiseley | 2017–18[31] | National League | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| Career total | 593 | 93 | 38 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 17 | 3 | 663 | 103 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2008 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Cheltenham Town
Rotherham United
Individual
