Everything you need to know about England and Chelsea winger Noni Madueke!
Noni Madueke is an English professional football player who plays as a winger and attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England U21 side. He was born in London, England on March 10, 2002.
Madueke began his football career at Crystal Palace's academy at the age of nine, before making a move to fellow London club Tottenham Hotspur at the age of 12. He played for Spurs' U16 and U18 sides, even captaining the former, before making a switch to Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven in 2018.
After playing in PSV Eindhoven's academy for two years, he made his debut for their senior team in 2020 during a 1-1 draw with VVV-Venlo. The 2020-21 season saw Madueke break into PSV's first team and become a regular starter, ending with nine goals and eight assists in 32 games. The next campaign saw him again produce impressive performances, particularly an impressive display against rivals Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Shield.
As a result, he began gaining interest from bigger European clubs, and on January 20, 2023, Madueke completed a €35m move to Premier League giants Chelsea on a seven-and-a-half-year contract. While he hasn't become a regular starter with the Blues, he has impressed in short spells and could make the breakthrough into the first team next season.
Madueke hasn't yet earned a senior cap for the England national team, however, he has represented them at the U17, U18, and U21 levels. The Chelsea winger scored his first goal for the U21 side in a 4-0 friendly win over France.
Here are 13 fun facts about Noni Madueke you need to know.
Early beginnings at Chelsea's rivals
While he now plays for their London rivals Chelsea, Madueke had an early beginning to his football career with Crystal Palace at the age of nine, playing three years in their academy, before moving on to another of the Blues rival Tottenham Hotspur.
At Tottenham Hotspur, Madueke was quick to move through their youth levels, captaining the U16 side and representing the U18 side at the age of 15 years old. In 2018 he would leave Spurs to join PSV Eindhoven for more first-team opportunities.
AdvertisementNigerian heritage
While Madueke was born and brought up in England and has also represented them at youth level, he also has Nigerian heritage running in his blood, inherited from his parents whose descent can be traced back to Nigeria.
In fact, he can still represent Nigeria since he doesn't have a senior cap with England, and the African nation is interested in him representing them since his academy days.
Used to be a central midfielder
While Madueke has made a name for himself as one of the most exciting prospects on the wing currently in world football. During his academy days, he used to play as a central midfielder primarily. It was only at the age of 16 that the future Chelsea winger transitioned to playing as a part of the forward line.
Who knows maybe if Madueke decides to go back to being a central midfielder, Chelsea will find the creative outlet they have been lacking in the centre of the field!
GettyLooks up to Cristiano Ronaldo
When asked about the player he looks up to the most from childhood, Madueke like many other young footballers, named Manchester United legend and Al-Nassr ace Cristiano Ronaldo.
The English winger stated in an interview with Sky Sports that he adopted his attitude from Ronaldo and wants to be confident while also backing it up on the pitch with his performances like his idol.