Jonathan Afolabi
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-01-14) 14 January 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Kortrijk
Number 9
Youth career
Shamrock Rovers
St Joseph's Boys
2016–2019 Southampton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2022 Celtic 0 (0)
2020 → Dunfermline Athletic (loan) 6 (2)
2020–2021 → Dundee (loan) 19 (3)
2021–2022 → Ayr United (loan) 14 (1)
2022 → Airdrieonians (loan) 12 (2)
2022–2023 Bohemians 37 (15)
2024– Kortrijk 11 (1)
International career‡
Republic of Ireland U17
2017–2019 Republic of Ireland U19 16 (6)
2019–2021 Republic of Ireland U21 5 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:00, 7 April 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:47, 2 June 2021 (UTC)

Jonathan Afolabi (born 14 January 2000) is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League. His previous clubs include Celtic, Dunfermline Athletic, Dundee, Ayr United, Airdrieonians and Bohemians.

Club career

Early career

Born and raised in Tallaght, Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland, Afolabi played his youth football with Mark Celtic, Shamrock Rovers, Lourdes Celtic, and St Joseph's Boys before earning a move to the Academy of Premier League club Southampton.[1]

Celtic

On 21 August 2019, Afolabi joined Scottish Premiership Champions Celtic.[2]

After various loan spells, his contract was not renewed on expiry at the end of June 2022.[3]

Dunfermline Athletic (loan)

On 27 January 2020, Afolabi signed for Dunfermline Athletic of the Scottish Championship on loan until the end of the season.[4] His debut in senior football came on 1 February 2020, in a 3–2 win away to Queen of the South.[5] He made six appearances for the club, scoring twice, before the season was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

Dundee (loan)

On 29 September 2020, Afolabi joined Dundee on a season-long loan.[7] He scored his first goal for the club at home in the league against Greenock Morton. He scored against Hearts and Ayr United in crucial games for Dundee as they won the promotion playoffs in the 2020–21 season.[8]

Ayr United (loan)

On 2 August 2021, Afolabi signed for Ayr United on loan until the end of the season.[9]

Airdrieonians (loan)

On 11 February 2022, Afolabi was recalled from Ayr and was immediately sent on loan to Scottish League One side Airdrieonians for the rest of the season.[10]

Bohemians

On 5 August 2022, Afolabi returned home to Dublin, signing for League of Ireland Premier Division club Bohemians.[11] Afolabi was awarded the League of Ireland Player of the Month award for July 2023, after scoring nine total goals over seven consecutive games.[12][13] He finished the 2023 League of Ireland Premier Division season as the joint-top league goalscorer and was named in the PFAI Team of the Year. He opened the scoring in the 2023 FAI Cup final but the Bohs lost the game to St Patrick's Athletic.[14]

Kortrijk

On 29 December 2023, it was announced that Afolabi would be joining Belgian Pro League side Kortrijk for an undisclosed fee, from 1 January 2024 on a contract until June 2026.[15] Afolabi made his debut on 20 January 2024, coming on as a substitute in a league victory away to Standard Liège.[16] Afolabi scored his first goal for De Kerels in a league draw away to Club Brugge.[17]

International career

Afolabi was born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.[18] Afolabi has played for the Republic of Ireland right up to under-21 level. On 31 July 2019 he was named in the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament, alongside Ferran Torres and Félix Correia in the forward positions.[19] He scored his first goal for the Republic of Ireland U21s on 26 March 2021 in a 2–1 friendly win over Wales U21 in Wrexham.[20]

On 8 September 2023, he received his first call up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad when he was included in the extended squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier at home to the Netherlands,[21] but did not make the final squad.[22][23]

Career statistics

As of match played on 7 April 2024[24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Southampton 2016–17[25] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 1[c] 0 1 0
2017–18[26] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 2[c] 0 2 0
2018–19[27] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 2[c] 0 2 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 5 0
Celtic 2019–20[28] Scottish Premiership 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
2020–21[29] Scottish Premiership 0 0 — — 0 0 0 0
2021–22[30] Scottish Premiership 0 0 — — 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dunfermline Athletic (loan) 2019–20[28] Scottish Championship 6 2 0 0 — — 6 2
Dundee (loan) 2020–21[29] Scottish Championship 19 3 2 1 1 0 — 22 4
Ayr United (loan) 2021–22[30] Scottish Championship 14 1 1 0 1 0 0[d] 0 16 1
Airdrieonians (loan) 2021–22[30] Scottish League One 12 2 — — 3[e] 1 15 3
Bohemians 2022[31] League of Ireland Premier Division 3 0 1 1 — — 4 1
2023[32] League of Ireland Premier Division 34 15 5 5 — 1[f] 0 40 20
Total 37 15 6 6 0 0 1 0 44 21
Kortrijk 2023–24[32] Belgian Pro League 11 1 — — — 11 1
Career total 99 24 9 7 2 0 9 1 119 32
  1. ^ Includes Scottish Cup, FAI Cup
  2. ^ Includes Scottish League Cup
  3. ^ a b c Appearances for Southampton U21/U23 in EFL Trophy
  4. ^ Appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
  5. ^ Appearances in Scottish Championship play-offs
  6. ^ Appearance in Leinster Senior Cup

Honours

Dundee

Bohemians

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Extratime.ie – Jonathan Afolabi". www.extratime.ie.
  2. ^ "Jonathan Afolabi: Celtic sign forward from Southampton on three-year deal". BBC Sport. 21 August 2019.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Joe (7 July 2022). "Ross Doohan moves to Tranmere Rovers". Celtic F.C. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Jonathan Afolabi signs for Pars | Dunfermline Athletic Football Club". dafc.co.uk.
  5. ^ "Queen of the South vs. Dunfermline Athletic – 1 February 2020 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  6. ^ "Republic of Ireland - J. Afolabi - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". ie.soccerway.com.
  7. ^ "Jonathan joins". Dundee FC. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Dundee v Greenock Morton". BBC. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  9. ^ "United sign Afolabi". Ayr United FC. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Celt Afolabi makes Diamonds loan switch". airdrie. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Bohs announce signing of Ireland U-21 cap Jonathan Afolabi from Celtic". independent.
  12. ^ Team, Extratime. "Jonathan Afolabi crowned SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month for July". extratime.com. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  13. ^ "In-form Jonathan Afolabi hoping to keep run going in crucial Dublin derby". Independent.ie. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  14. ^ "'Hurt' Declan Devine offers no defence as clinical Saints punish Bohs". Independent.ie. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  15. ^ Kelly, Niall (29 December 2023). "Jonathan Afalobi leaves Bohs for move to Belgian top-flight club". The42.ie. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Standard Liège vs. Kortrijk - 20 January 2024 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Club Brugge 3-3 KV Kortrijk (30 Jan, 2024) Final Score - ESPN (UK)". ESPN. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  18. ^ Fennessy, Paul (27 June 2019). "'My ma wants me to play for Nigeria... But I've been playing with Ireland for a long time'". The42.
  19. ^ "Afolabi honoured to make Team of the Tournament | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
  20. ^ "U21s comeback to beat Wales". www.fai.ie. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  21. ^ "Stephen Kenny selects 25-man squad for France & Netherlands | Football Association of Ireland". fai.ie.
  22. ^ "Republic of Ireland - Netherlands | 2024 - UEFA European Qualifiers | 2036407 | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
  23. ^ "QPR man Sinclair Armstrong makes the cut for Dutch tie but Bohs' Jonathan Afolabi misses out". Independent.ie. 10 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Republic of Ireland – J. Afolabi – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  25. ^ "Games played by Jonathan Afolabi in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  26. ^ "Games played by Jonathan Afolabi in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  27. ^ "Games played by Jonathan Afolabi in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  28. ^ a b "Games played by Jonathan Afolabi in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Games played by Jonathan Afolabi in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  30. ^ a b c "Games played by Jonathan Afolabi in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  31. ^ "Games played by Jonathan Afolabi in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  32. ^ a b "Games played by Jonathan Afolabi in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Dundee promoted as Kilmarnock drop down for first time in 28 years". BBC. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  34. ^ Dempsey, Andrew. "Bohemians secure Leinster Senior Cup crown with win over Usher Celtic". extratime.com. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  35. ^ "2019 U19 EURO team of the tournament". UEFA.com. 30 July 2019.

External links

K.V. Kortrijk – current squad
League of Ireland Premier Division top scorer
2023 PFAI Premier Division Team of the Year
FAI Under 19 International Player of the Year
Categories