Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 18 December 2003 | ||
Place of birth | Regensburg, Germany[1] | ||
Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Right-back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team |
Harrogate Town (on loan from Southampton) | ||
Youth career | |||
Coezer FC | |||
2012–2023 | Chelsea | ||
2023–2024 | Southampton | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2024– | Southampton | 0 | (0) |
2024– | → Harrogate Town (loan) | 10 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2020 | England U17 | 2 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 07:12, 2 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 January 2023 |
Derrick Abu (born 18 December 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for EFL League Two club Harrogate Town, on loan from EFL Championship club Southampton. Born in Germany, he is a former youth international for England U-17’s.
Born in Regensburg, Germany to Nigerian parents, Abu's family moved to England in 2006, when he was two years old.[2][3] After representing grassroots side Coezer FC at a tournament in Spain, he was scouted and signed by Premier League side Chelsea at under-11 level.[4][5] He signed a scholarship contract with The Blues in July 2020, before signing on professional terms in February 2021.[6]
In late April 2023, he went on trial with fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace, scoring the winning penalty in a 5–3 penalty shoot-out win against the youth team of Valencia in the Premier League International Cup semi-final.[7][8] On 16 June 2023, Chelsea announced that Abu would leave the club when his contract expired at the end of June.[9]
On 5 July 2023, Abu joined Southampton on a two-year contract, initially joinining the Under-21 side for the 2023–24 season.[10]
On 1 February 2024, Abu joined League Two side Harrogate Town for the remainder of the 2023–24 season.[11] Two days later, he made his first appearance for the club in a 1–1 draw against Stockport County.[12]
Abu is eligible to represent England, Germany and Nigeria at international level.[1] In 2019, he reportedly made himself available to represent Nigeria at youth international level.[13] He has since stated his desire to represent all three countries before making a final decision on who to represent.[3]
He has represented England at under-17 level.[1]
Describing himself as having a "huge passion for music",[3] Abu was involved with his church's choir from a young age, and wrote his first song at the age of eleven.[14] He released a rap single in early 2022, and followed this up with an EP later the same year, under the name Cho$en.[14][15]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Chelsea U21 | 2022–23 | — | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
Southampton | 2023–24[17] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
Harrogate Town (loan) | 2023–24[17] | League Two | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |||
Career total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |