 Chalobah training withChelsea in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nathaniel Nyakie Chalobah[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1994-12-12)12 December 1994 (age 30)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Freetown, Sierra Leone | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.87 m)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Sheffield Wednesday | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Fulham | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2012 | Chelsea | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2017 | Chelsea | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | →Watford (loan) | 38 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | →Nottingham Forest (loan) | 12 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | →Middlesbrough (loan) | 19 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | →Burnley (loan) | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | →Reading (loan) | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | →Napoli (loan) | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | Watford | 75 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Fulham | 24 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Sheffield Wednesday | 17 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | England U16 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | England U17 | 34 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | England U19 | 13 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | England U20 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2017 | England U21 | 40 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018 | England | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:36, 10 August 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Nathaniel Nyakie Chalobah (born 12 December 1994) is a professionalfootballer who plays as adefensive midfielder forEFL Championship clubSheffield Wednesday. Born in Sierra Leone, he represented theEngland national team.
After initially joining theacademy system atFulham, Chalobah moved to theChelsea academy at the age of 10.[4] During the 2010–11 season, he featured for Chelsea reserves while still a schoolboy, winning the national championship with the team that season.[5] In 2011–12, Chalobah regularly captained both Chelsea's reserve and youth teams, and led the 2012FA Youth Cup winning team.[5] He signed a professional contract with Chelsea in January 2012 shortly after turning 17, lasting until summer 2014.[5] He was an unused substitute for the Chelsea first-team at the age of 15, in their League Cup clash against Newcastle[6] and travelled with them to the2012 UEFA Champions League Final at theAllianz Arena, which Chelsea won.[7] On 30 August 2013, Chalobah signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea, stating that he wished to stay at Chelsea for his entire career.[8]
Chalobah signed on loan forChampionship clubWatford on 31 August 2012 until January 2013.[9] He made his first-team debut for the club on 18 September 2012 againstBrighton & Hove Albion, coming on as a 73rd-minute substitute forFernando Forestieri.[10] He later made his first start, lasting the full 90 minutes in Watford's 2–2 draw withBristol City on 23 September.[11] On 17 November, Chalobah scored his first goal for Watford in a 2–1 win overWolverhampton Wanderers.[12] He scored his second goal for Watford in a 1–1 draw againstBurnley, on 15 December, with a fine volley from the edge of the box.[13]
On 2 January 2013, Chalobah extended his loan at Watford until the end of the 2012–13 season. In April, he scored with a 35-yard shot[14] thatLeicester City goalkeeperKasper Schmeichel said he never saw; Watford won 2–1.[15]
Chalobah played for Watford as they reached the2013 Championship play-off final, in which they were defeated 1–0 byCrystal Palace.[16]
On 19 September 2013 Chalobah signed a loan deal withNottingham Forest until 15 January 2014.[17] ManagerBilly Davies remarked upon his arrival, "He's a tremendous young talent."[18] Chalobah made his debut from the start in Forest's trip toDoncaster Rovers on 21 September 2013.[19] On 5 October 2013, Chalobah was sent off after a second booking in the 67th minute after already picking up a yellow in the first half during the away match againstBrighton & Hove Albion.[20] Though Forest were down to 10 men, they saw out a 3–1 victory.[19] Chalobah scored his first Forest goal in a 3–1 defeat away toYeovil Town on 26 October 2013.[21]
On 16 January 2014, Chalobah joinedMiddlesbrough on loan for the remainder of the2013–14 season.[22] On 25 January 2014, Chalobah made his debut againstLeicester City, coming off the bench in the 77th minute to replaceEmmanuel Ledesma.[19] The match ended in a 2–0 loss for Middlesbrough.[19] Chalobah made his first start on 1 February 2014, in a match againstDoncaster Rovers which ended in a 0–0 draw.[19] On 5 April 2014, Chalobah scored his first Boro goal in a 1–0 win at home to Derby County.[23]
On 1 September 2014, Chalobah joinedPremier League newcomersBurnley on loan fromChelsea until 2 January 2015.[24] On 28 September 2014, Chalobah made his debut as a first-half substitute againstWest Bromwich Albion, although he could not prevent Burnley from losing 4–0.[19] On 30 September, Chalobah suffered an injury after being hit with an elbow in the throat in a Burnley U21s match, which caused a cartilage to fracture.[25][26] Chalobah returned to the pitch for the first team on 18 October 2014 againstWest Ham United.[19] On 1 November 2014, Chalobah played his last match for Burnley againstArsenal, which ended in a 3–0 loss.[19]
Chalobah was unable to break into the first team at Burnley and returned to Chelsea when the loan ended on 2 January 2015. During his time with Burnley, Chalobah only made four substitute appearances.[27]
On 22 January 2015, Chalobah joined Championship clubReading on loan for the remainder of the season.[27][28] On 24 January 2015, Chalobah made his debut in aFA Cup match againstCardiff City, as the team won 2–1 to advance into the fifth round.[29] Three days later, Chalobah made his league debut againstMillwall.[29]
On 31 January 2015, in his home debut, Chalobah scored the second of a 2–0 victory overSheffield Wednesday, helping the Royals to their first league win since December.[30] During his time with Reading, Chalobah made a total of 20 appearances and started in every appearance.[29]
On 1 September 2015, Italian clubNapoli confirmed that Chalobah had joined the club on a season long loan from Chelsea.[31] On 1 October 2015, Chalobah made his Napoli debut in aUEFA Europa League tie againstLegia Warsaw.[3] The fixture resulted in a 2–0 victory for the Italian team, with Chalobah featuring for five minutes after replacingAllan.[3] On 26 November 2015, Chalobah was given his first Napoli start in a 1–0 victory overClub Brugge in the UEFA Europa League group stage tie.[3] On 10 December 2015, Chalobah scored his first Napoli goal in a 5–2 win over Legia Warsaw, scoring Napoli's first.[3] On 6 January 2016, Chalobah finally made hisSerie A debut in a 2–1 victory againstTorino, replacingMarek Hamšík in the 89th minute.[3]
Chalobah went on to make four more league appearances for Napoli before returning to Chelsea at the end of the campaign.[3]
In the summer of 2016, Chelsea rejected loan offers for Chalobah after new managerAntonio Conte had been impressed with Chalobah in pre-season, deciding that he should remain as part of Chelsea's first-team group.[32] Chalobah made his first-team debut on 20 September 2016, when he came off the bench to replaceMichy Batshuayi in the 79th minute of a 4–2 win overLeicester City to advance to the Fourth round of theEFL Cup.[33] On 15 October 2016, on his second league appearance for Chelsea, Chalobah provided a back-heel pass to playVictor Moses through for the third goal in a 3–0 victory over Leicester City.[34]
On 13 July 2017, Chalobah signed for Premier League clubWatford on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[35] On 26 September 2017, Chalobah was reported to have suffered a knee injury in a training session and was expected to have surgery.[36]
On the last day of the 2021 summer transfer window, Chalobah joined recently relegatedChampionship sideFulham on a free transfer, keeping him until 2023 with an option to extend by a further year and was once again reunited with managerMarco Silva.[37] He made his debut for the club, playing the whole game, in a 4–1 win againstBirmingham City on 15 September 2021.[38]
On 31 January 2023, Chalobah returned to the Championship withWest Bromwich Albion, signing an eighteen-month contract.[39] On 7 January 2024, Chalobah scored his first goal for the club in a 4-1 home win againstAldershot Town in a FA Cup third round game.[40] On 22 May 2024, the club announced he would be leaving in the summer when his contract expired.[41]
On 13 July 2024, Chalobah joined Championship sideSheffield Wednesday on a free transfer.[42] He made his debut in theEFL Cup on 27 August, starting in the 5–1 victory againstGrimsby Town.[43] His first league appearance came againstDerby County on 1 December 2024 when he came on as a 70th minute substitute.[44] He scored his first goal forWednesday on the opening day of the2025–26 season, before having to come off injured a few minutes later.[45]
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Chalobah made hisEngland under-16 debut at the age of 13 in October 2008, and hisEngland under-17 debut aged 14 in July 2009. He won the2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and later captaining the team at the age of 15. Chalobah made hisEngland under-19 debut in September 2011,[46] and went on to captain them.[47] He was called up to theEngland under-21 squad for a match againstNorthern Ireland on 13 November 2012, and made his debut at that level replacingJordan Henderson in the 76th minute.[48]
Chalobah was also eligible to play forSierra Leone, the country where he was born, but has stated that he has a strong affiliation to England, the country of his upbringing.[4]
In August 2017, Chalobah was named in theEngland squad for the first time for the2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers againstMalta andSlovakia.[49] He made his debut on 15 October 2018 as a substitute forHarry Winks in the first minute of stoppage time in England's 3–2 win away toSpain in the2018–19 UEFA Nations League A, with the competitive status of the fixture tying him to England permanently from then on.[50] As he came on in added time for his only England cap, Chalobah officially has an England career of zero minutes, but in actual time he played for 6 minutes and 54 seconds. This is one second more thanMartin Kelly, who holds the record for shortest England career in actual time played.[51]
Chalobah is known for his versatility, work-rate, and fitness levels, both in defending and attacking sense. He is described as, "Tall, athletic and can operate in either midfield or defence, being notably quick in the tackle."[52]
Born inFreetown, Sierra Leone, Chalobah moved to England at the age of seven and grew up inGipsy Hill in theLondon Borough of Lambeth.[4] He played football for the first time at the age of nine.[53] Chalobah attended St Andrews R.C. Primary school and further studied atBishop Thomas Grant School inStreatham, South London.[54] His younger brotherTrevoh joined Chelsea as an Under–9 and has been capped by England up to senior level.
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 2010–11[55] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011–12[56] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[16] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14[19] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15[29] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16[57] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17[58] | Premier League | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Watford (loan) | 2012–13[16] | Championship | 38 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3[c] | 0 | 42 | 5 | ||
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 2013–14[19] | Championship | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | |||
| Middlesbrough (loan) | 2013–14[19] | Championship | 19 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 1 | ||||
| Burnley (loan) | 2014–15[29] | Premier League | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Reading (loan) | 2014–15[29] | Championship | 15 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 1 | |||
| Napoli (loan) | 2015–16[3] | Serie A | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| Watford | 2017–18[59] | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19[60] | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20[61] | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21[62] | Championship | 38 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 3 | |||
| Total | 75 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 85 | 4 | ||||
| Fulham | 2021–22[63] | Championship | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23[62] | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| Total | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2022–23[62] | Championship | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[64] | Championship | 33 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 1 | |||
| Total | 46 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 49 | 1 | ||||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2024–25[65] | Championship | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26[66] | Championship | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Total | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 265 | 13 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 302 | 16 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Chelsea
Fulham
England U17
England U21
Individual
[Chalobah] won his only cap to date as a stoppage time substitute in the 3–2 win over Spain in 2018, and so officially has zero minutes to his name. His actual playing time, however, was 6 minutes and 54 seconds, one second longer than Kelly managed in his sole England appearance, in 2012.
