Yakubu
Personal information
Full name	Yakubu Aiyegbeni
Date of birth	22 November 1982 (1982-11-22) (age 27)
Place of birth	Benin City, Nigeria
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Everton
Number	22
Youth career
1995-1998 1998	Okomo Oil Julius Berger
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1998 1999–2003 1999–2000 2000–2001 2002–2003 2003–2005 2005–2007 2007–	Gil Vicente Maccabi Haifa → Hapoel Kfar Saba (loan) → Dynamo Kiev (loan) → Portsmouth (loan) Portsmouth Middlesbrough Everton	00 0(0) 050 0(24) 023 0(6) 00 00 013 0(7) 068 0(29) 073 0(25) 048 0(19)
National team2
2000–	Nigeria	046 0(18)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 November 2009. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 14 November 2009. * Appearances (Goals)

Yakubu Aiyegbeni (born 22 November 1977 in Benin City, Nigeria), nicknamed ""^[1] and generally known as simply Yakubu, is a Nigerian footballer, who currently plays as a striker for Everton in the English Premier League. He is the highest scoring African in the history of the Premier League. He is 6 foot tall (1.83m) and weighs 13 stone (83 kg).

[edit] Club career

A powerful pacy striker, Yakubu started his career in Portugal with Gil Vicente, he was then bought by Israeli team Maccabi Haifa, who loaned him for one season to Hapoel Kfar Saba. He also had a loan spell at Dynamo Kiev but failed to make an appearance for the club. After returning to Haifa, he won two championships and had an excellent scoring record with the club, both in the domestic and international competitions, breaking several club records.^{[citation needed]} He came to England and trained with Derby County but could not obtain a work permit at the time.^{[citation needed]} After scoring 7 goals in 8 European Cup appearances (including a hat-trick against Olympiacos and another against Manchester United) in the 2002–03 season UEFA Champions League, Yakubu moved to English club Portsmouth in January 2003

[edit] Portsmouth

His goals helped fire Portsmouth to the Division One title, scoring at a rate of one goal every two games.

During the club's debut Premier League season, in which they finished 13th, he scored 16 times in 35 starts, including 4 in a single game as Portsmouth defeated Middlesbrough 5-1 on the final day of the season. During the summer of 2004 several other Premiership teams were interested in purchasing Yakubu for up to £10 million,^{[citation needed]} but he chose to stay and help consolidate the club's Premiership position. His final goal for Portsmouth in May 2005 before he left the club - the equaliser in a 1-1 home draw to Bolton Wanderers in the penulitimate league game of the season - was the goal that ensured Portsmouth would not be relegated from Premiership in the 2004–05 season.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Middlesbrough

After the 2004–05 season, he transferred from Portsmouth to Middlesbrough for a £7.5 million fee.^[2] Yakubu scored the only goal of the game with a penalty in the first leg of the UEFA Cup last 16 round at home against A.S. Roma, giving Middlesbrough a 1-0 victory, who later went through on away goals. He played for Middlesbrough in the 2006 UEFA Cup Final.

His transfer from Portsmouth to Middlesbrough in July 2005 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns because of the lack of co-operation from agents Pinhas Zahavi and Barry Silkman^[3].

[edit] Everton

Yakubu was transferred to Everton in August 2007 for a fee of £11.25m.^[1] Shunning the traditional centre-forwards' number 9 Yakubu asked to be assigned number 22, setting this number as a goal-scoring target for his first season,^[4] a feat he fell one goal short of achieving.^[5] He scored 11 minutes into his debut for the club, the first goal in a 2–1 win against Bolton Wanderers, at the Reebok Stadium in September 2007.^[6] His first hat-trick came against Fulham in a 3–0 home league win in December 2007.^[7]

Yakubu travelled to Ghana in early 2008 to compete in the Cup of Nations. Following Nigeria's exit from the competition Yakubu was late in returning to his club, and as a result was dropped by manager David Moyes once back in England.^[1] His double against Newcastle United in a 3–1 win at Goodison Park on the last day of the 2007–08 season helped the Toffees clinch 5th place and a place in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup competition. He finished his first season with 15 Premier League goals to his name, and 21 goals in all competitions for Everton.^[8] Yakubu got his highest goal tally for a single season, and also became the first Everton player since Peter Beardsley to net 20 goals in a season. ^[9]

Yakubu scored his 100th goal in English football in a league game at West Bromwich Albion early in the Premier League 2008–09 season.^[10] He continued his great start to the season with a goal against Standard Liege in the UEFA Cup. He got back on the scoresheet with a lucky, but clever, goal against Boro, his first goal in 10 games, but ruptured his Achilles tendon in the 1-0 away win at Tottenham on Sunday 30 November, ruling him out for the rest of the season. Yakubu played his first competitive game after the achilles tendon injury against Burnley Reserves, and in his first start for the first team in almost a year, he scored within 11 minutes against Hull City in the Carling Cup with a typically cool-headed finish.

[edit] Statistics

[edit] Honours

[edit] Maccabi Haifa

• Israeli Premier League :
  • Winner: 2000-01, 2001-02

• Israel State Cup :
  • Runner-up: 2001-02

• Toto Cup :
  • Winner: 2002

[edit] Portsmouth

• Football League Division One :
  • Winner: 2002-03

[edit] Middlesbrough

• UEFA Cup :
  • Runner-up: 2005-06

[edit] Everton

• FA Cup :
  • Runner-up: 2008-09

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Yakubu Aiyegbenji career stats at Soccerbase
• Unofficial Fan Site
• Feed The Yak - Unofficial Fan Site

v • d • e Nigeria squad – 2008 Africa Cup of Nations 1 Enyeama • 2 Yobo • 3 Taiwo • 4 Kanu • 5 Nwaneri • 6 Shittu • 7 Utaka • 8 Yakubu • 9 Martins • 10 Mikel • 11 Odemwingie • 12 Ejide • 13 Afolabi • 14 Olofinjana • 15 Uche • 16 Etuhu • 17 Makinwa • 18 Obinna • 19 Emeghara • 20 Okonkwo • 21 Eromoigbe • 22 Apam • 23 Aiyenugba • Coach: Vogts