Tom Adeyemi

Tom Adeyemi

With Birmingham City in 2013 pre-season
Personal information
Full name Thomas Oluseun Adeyemi
Date of birth (1991-10-24) 24 October 1991
Place of birth Milton Keynes,[1] England
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Rotherham United
(on loan from Cardiff City)
Number 24
Youth career
2000–2008 Norwich City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2013 Norwich City 11 (0)
2010–2011 → Bradford City (loan) 34 (5)
2011–2012 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 36 (2)
2012–2013 → Brentford (loan) 30 (2)
2013–2014 Birmingham City 35 (1)
2014– Cardiff City 20 (1)
2015–2016 → Leeds United (loan) 23 (2)
2016– → Rotherham United (loan) 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 August 2016 (UTC).


Thomas Oluseun "Tom" Adeyemi (born 24 October 1991) is an English footballer who plays for Rotherham United on loan from Cardiff City.

Adeyemi started his professional career at Football League Championship side Norwich City in 2008, having progressed through the club's youth ranks, and made his professional debut for the club in 2009. During his five-year spell at the club as a professional, he made eleven league appearances. He spent the 2010–11 season on loan to Football League Two side Bradford City, where he made 34 league appearances, and the next season on loan to Oldham Athletic of Football League One, making 36 league appearances. He was sent out on loan again for 2012–13, this time to League One Brentford, where he made 30 league appearances.

He joined Football League Championship club Birmingham City in July 2013 on a free transfer, having been released by Norwich, and a year later moved again, to fellow Championship club Cardiff City.

Early life

Adeyemi, a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, attended Norwich School[2] and, having worked his way through the club's youth structure, signed professional forms for Norwich aged 17, in November 2008.[3] He opted to decline a university offer from Cambridge University to pursue his footballing career, subsequently gaining A* grades at Advanced Level in Biology and Chemistry and an A grade in Mathematics.[4]

Club career

Norwich City

Adeyemi made his debut for Norwich's first team on 8 August 2009, as a substitute for Matthew Gill during their heavy 7–1 defeat to Colchester United on the opening day of the 2009–10 season.

Former manager Glenn Roeder, who gave him his professional contract, described him:[3]

"He's very athletic, technically very gifted and one of the nicest young men that I've ever dealt with. He comes from a lovely family, and academically he's incredibly intelligent – I don't think he got anything less than an A grade in his GCSEs. My son goes to the same school and the headmaster told me if Tom decides at any point he doesn't want to play football he can go back to Norwich School, get his A levels and end up at Oxford or Cambridge, and I don't think he means their football teams!"

In March 2010, Adeyemi was named League One Apprentice of the Year at the Football League Awards.[5]

In July 2010, following Norwich City's promotion to the Championship, Adeyemi joined League Two side Bradford City on an initial six-month loan deal, later extended to a full season loan.[2] He scored on his debut in a 3–1 loss against Shrewsbury Town.[6]

Oldham Athletic (loan)

Adeyemi signed for League One side Oldham Athletic on a five-month loan deal in August 2011.[7] Adeyemi made his debut for the club in a 1–1 draw with local rivals Huddersfield Town.[8] Adeyemi scored his second goal for the club against Carlisle United after getting his debut goal against Milton Keynes Dons in the televised 2–1 win.[9] During Oldham's FA Cup third round tie against Liverpool at Anfield, Adeyemi thought he was the target of racist abuse from an individual in the stands, which led to a police investigation. An arrest was made, but the Crown Prosecution Service found "insufficient evidence to bring any criminal charges".[10][11]

On 11 April 2012, at the end of Adeyemi's loan deal, Oldham decided not to extend his deal until the end of the season and allowed him to return to parent club Norwich City. Adeyemi made 45 appearances and scored three goals.[12]

Brentford (loan)

He joined League One Brentford on a six-month loan deal on 29 August 2012, signed by Uwe Rösler.[13] Adeyemi impressed in the centre of midfield and extended his loan until the end of the season. He played in the dramatic final match of the regular season, against Doncaster Rovers, in which Brentford's Marcello Trotta missed a last-minute penalty which would have earned Brentford automatic promotion, only for Doncaster to run up to the opposite end of the pitch and score a winner.[14] Brentford entered the play-offs, in which they beat Swindon Town in the semi-final only for Adeyemi to be on the losing side in the final, beaten 2–1 by Yeovil Town.[15]

Birmingham City

On 24 June 2013, following his release from Norwich City, Adeyemi signed a two-year contract with Championship club Birmingham City. Manager Lee Clark described him as "a terrific young lad who is a powerful and athletic midfield player who can get forward and score goals."[16] He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat at home to Watford on 3 August, and remained a regular member of the starting eleven.[17] He scored the winning penalty, albeit off the crossbar and the goalkeeper's back, to defeat Yeovil Town in the second round of the League Cup,[18] and scored his first goal in the third round as Birmingham beat holders Swansea City 3–1. He stole the ball on the edge of Swansea's penalty area and knocked it to Chris Burke; Burke's return pass left Adeyemi a tap-in.[19]

In the latter part of 2013, Birmingham went ten games unbeaten with a team built around a "spine" of Adeyemi and loanees Kyle Bartley, Dan Burn and Jesse Lingard, but the loanees were recalled, Adeyemi suffered a back injury which appeared to restrict his physicality when he was fit to play, and the team struggled.[20][21] He was able to produce a strong performance on the final day of the season, when Birmingham avoided relegation on goal difference, was chosen as the club's young player of the season, and felt that increasing maturity was allowing him to take on more responsibility.[22] Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Clark appointed Adeyemi vice-captain.[23] Ten days later, amid interest from Cardiff City, he submitted a transfer request.[21] Birmingham manager called losing Adeyemi "gutting".[24]

Cardiff City

Adeyemi signed a three-year contract with Championship club Cardiff City, managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjær, on 7 August 2014.[25] The fee was undisclosed, but reported in the Birmingham Mail as "in excess of £1 million, with add-ons [and] a sell-on clause".[26]

On 26 December, Adeyemi scored his first goal for Cardiff with a header that earned his side a point in a 1–1 draw with Charlton Athletic.[27] On 20 January 2015, he received the man of the match award in a 2–1 defeat against Middlesbrough.[28]

Leeds United (loan)

On 14 July 2015, Adeyemi joined Championship rivals Leeds United on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent deal,[29] which would potentially be worth £1m.[30] The move to Leeds saw Adeyemi link up with his former Brentford manager Uwe Rösler.[31] Adeyemi made his debut for Leeds in a 1–1 draw with Burnley on the opening day of the season.[32] On 29 August, Adeyemi scored his first competitive goal for Leeds with a bullet header in the first half of the 2–1 win over Derby County.[33]

Rotherham United (loan)

On 18 August 2016, Adeyemi joined Rotherham United on a season-long loan.[34]

International career

The son of a Nigerian father, Adeyemi is eligible for both the Nigeria and England national sides.[35]

Style of play

Adeyemi was described by Birmingham manager Lee Clark as a "powerful and talented midfielder".[24] Rösler assessed him as composed.[36] Solskjær expected him to be "a top, top player" for Cardiff, as "a box to box midfielder [who] can attack and defend. He wins the ball really well for us, switches the play and scores goals as well".[37]

Club statistics

As of match played 6 February 2016
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Norwich City 2009–10[38] League One 11000204[lower-alpha 1]0170
2011–12[9] Premier League00—00—00
2012–13[39] Premier League00—00—00
Total 110002040170
Bradford City (loan) 2010–11[6] League Two34510101[lower-alpha 1]0375
Oldham Athletic (loan) 2011–12[9] League One36240—5[lower-alpha 1]1453
Brentford (loan) 2012–13[39] League One 30251—4[lower-alpha 2]0393
Birmingham City 2013–14[17] Championship3511042—403
Cardiff City 2014–15[40] Championship2012010—231
Leeds United (loan) 2015–16[32] Championship2121000—222
Career total 187131418214122317
  1. 1 2 3 Appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ One appearance in Football League Trophy, three in Football League One play-offs

Honours

Club

Norwich City
Brentford

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Adeyemi". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
    Bland, Richard, ed. (31 January 2009). Norwich City U18s v Chelsea U18s (match programme) (PDF). Friends of Norwich City Youth. p. 7. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 "First team profiles: Tom Adeyemi". Norwich City F.C. Archived from the original on 22 June 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Adeyemi signs pro contract". Norwich City F.C. 13 November 2008. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012.
  4. ↑ Freezer, Favid (7 January 2012). "Update: Police probe abuse of Norwich City's Tom Adeyemi at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium". The Pink 'Un. Norwich. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Adeyemi honoured at league awards". Norwich City F.C. 7 March 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Games played by Tom Adeyemi in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Latics land top young Canary". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. 31 August 2011. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Oldham 1–1 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 3 September 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 "Games played by Tom Adeyemi in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Police probe Adeyemi incident". ESPN FC. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "No charges over footballer Tom Adeyemi 'racist abuse' case". BBC News. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "Adeyemi leaves Latics". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. 11 April 2012. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012.
  13. ↑ Chapman, Mark (29 August 2012). "Adeyemi joins the Bees". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "Brentford 0–1 Doncaster Rovers". BBC Sport. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  15. 1 2 Maiden, Phil (19 May 2013). "Brentford 1–2 Yeovil". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  16. ↑ Alcock, Chris (24 June 2013). "Blues snap-up midfielder Adeyemi". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  17. 1 2 "Games played by Tom Adeyemi in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  18. ↑ Tattum, Colin (11 September 2013). "Tom Adeyemi: 'We maybe do deserve a little more in terms of points'". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  19. ↑ "Capital One Cup third round: Birmingham knock out holders Swansea with 3–1 win". Sky Sports. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  20. ↑ Tattum, Colin (28 January 2014). "Lee Clark needs to rebuild his team after loan deals end and injuries hit". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  21. 1 2 Tattum, Colin (5 August 2014). "Update: Blues reject Tom Adeyemi transfer request". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  22. 1 2 Tattum, Colin (24 May 2014). "Tom Adeyemi ready to be a leader for Blues". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  23. ↑ "Championship: Tom Adeyemi named Birmingham City vice-captain for 2014–15". Sky Sports. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  24. 1 2 "Birmingham City: Tom Adeyemi's Cardiff move 'gutting' – Lee Clark". BBC Sport. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  25. ↑ "Cardiff City sign Tom Adeyemi on a three-year deal from Birmingham". BBC Sport. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  26. ↑ Tattum, Colin (7 August 2014). "Lee Clark: I wanted to keep Tom Adeyemi, the board wanted to keep Tom Adeyemi". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  27. ↑ "Charlton 1 Cardiff 1". BBC Sport. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  28. ↑ Wathan, Chris (20 January 2015). "Tom Adeyemi was the Bluebirds star man on another disappointing night". Wales Online. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  29. ↑ "Cardiff midfielder arrives on loan". Leeds United F.C. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  30. ↑ Phillips, Terry (14 July 2015). "Leeds United told to stump up £1m if they want to make Tom Adeyemi's loan from Cardiff City permanent". Wales Online. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  31. ↑ "The perfect club for me – Adeyemi". Leeds United F.C. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  32. 1 2 "Games played by Tom Adeyemi in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  33. ↑ Hay, Phil (31 August 2015). "Derby 1 Leeds United 2: Wood thunderbolt silences the Rams". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  34. ↑ "Adeyemi becomes Stubbs' 11th signing". Rotherham United Official Site. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  35. ↑ Bernstein, Joe (9 January 2012). "Adeyemi turned down place at Cambridge Uni to become a footballer". Daily Mail. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  36. ↑ "Boss backing Adeyemi to shine". Sky Sports. 10 October 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  37. ↑ "Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Tom Adeyemi will be a top player". BBC Sport. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  38. ↑ "Games played by Tom Adeyemi in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  39. 1 2 "Games played by Tom Adeyemi in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  40. ↑ "Games played by Tom Adeyemi in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 January 2016.

External links

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