_awokoya.jpg) Mebude with Scotland U19 in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adedapo Paul Oluwaseun Awokoya-Mebude[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 29 July 2001[2] | ||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | KV Oostende | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2019 | Rangers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2021 | Rangers | 1 | (0) |
| 2021 | → Queen of the South (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | Watford | 0 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | → AFC Wimbledon (loan) | 25 | (2) |
| 2022– | KV Oostende | 7 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| Scotland U16 | |||
| 2017–2018 | Scotland U17 | 10 | (2) |
| 2018 | Scotland U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Scotland U19 | 13 | (4) |
| 2021– | Scotland U21 | 3 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:05, 7 November 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12:32, 19 November 2021 (UTC) | |||
Adedapo Paul Oluwaseun "Dapo" Awokoya-Mebude (born 29 July 2001) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Belgian club KV Oostende.[3]
Mebude was born in London,[4] growing up in Peckham,[5] and is of Nigerian descent.[6] His family moved to Scotland when he was around 10 years old, and he joined the Rangers youth system after attending an open Soccer Schools event organised by the club.[7][8] He was later a participant in the SFA's Performance School programme at Holyrood Secondary School,[9] and also attended Rangers' youth partnership school Boclair Academy.[10]
Mebude turned professional with Rangers in May 2017.[11] Mebude signed a new contract with the club in December 2018, keeping him at Ibrox until 2021.[10] In February 2019 he was recalled from international duty with the Scotland under-19s to join up with the Rangers first team, due to injury problems.[12] Mebude debuted for the first-team on 19 May 2019, in a 2–1 away defeat versus Kilmarnock in the league.[13]
On 21 January 2021, Mebude joined Scottish Championship club Queen of the South on loan until the end of the season.[14] He scored his first professional goal, in a 4–2 league win at Gayfield Park versus Arbroath on 6 March 2021.[15]
In June 2021, Mebude ran out his contract with Rangers to become a free agent.[16][8] A month later in July, he was signed by Watford on a two-year contract with the option of a further two-years.[17][18] He suffered a back injury at the end of July 2021, and was hospitalised.[19][20]
He moved on loan to AFC Wimbledon in August 2021.[21][5] He scored his first goal for Wimbledon in a 3–3 draw against Bolton Wanderers on 14 August 2021.[22]
In September 2022 he signed for Belgian club KV Oostende.[23]
Mebude has represented Scotland at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 youth levels, and made his first under-21 appearance in October 2021 against Denmark.[2][11][10][12][24]
In November 2018, he was described by the Daily Record as a "diminutive striker" who was "highly-rated within Ibrox" and that he was "known for his lightening [sic] quick pace as well as his obvious finishing ability and is a handful for defenders with his trickery".[4] In a September 2019 interview, Mebude stated "When I play as a winger I try and be direct and score goals like Raheem Sterling who is fast, direct and a similar build to me."[25]
In February 2021 Mebude was one of five Rangers players fined by Scottish police "for attending an illegal gathering of ten people in a flat" in breach of lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[26]
Mebude was hospitalised in January 2024 following a car crash.[27]
His younger brother Dire is also a footballer, who as of September 2020 was playing at youth level for Premier League club Manchester City, and Scotland.[28]