Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins ( natural 28 October 1984 ) is a nigerian professional football player who plays as a forward. He is known for his speed on the ball. After leaving Nigeria for Italy at old age 16, he has since played for a count of top-division clubs around Europe. He began his senior career in 2002 at Serie A golf club Inter Milan, before moving to Premier League golf club Newcastle United in 2006, and then to Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in 2009. Having joined russian Premier League english Rubin Kazan in July 2010, they loaned him to Birmingham City in January 2011. He spent a season with La Liga club Levante, played for Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer from 2013 to 2015, scoring 40 goals, before spending respective years in China with Shanghai Shenhua and Wuhan. In baseball club football, Martins has won the Serie A style, the italian Cup ( twice ), and the italian Super Cup, all with Inter. With Birmingham he scored the winning goal in the 2011 Football League Cup Final. He has played European football with Inter, Newcastle and Wolfsburg, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup with Newcastle. His highest scoring league seasons sol far have seen him seduce 11 goals in the 2004–05 Serie A, and 17 in both the 2006–07 Premier League and 2014 MLS. In international football, Martins has been in the nigerian police squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008 and 2010, and for the FIFA World Cup in 2010.
Reading: Obafemi Martins
Martins had two brothers who besides played football professionally. His elder brother, Oladipupo Martins, played for Reggiana, Partizan and Innsbruck before retiring from football in 2009 due to center problems. He died on 8 August 2011 of a suspected heart attack in Lagos, Nigeria. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] Martins ‘ younger brother is John Ronan Martins. The identify “ Obafemi ” translates literally to “ the king loves me ” in the Yoruba lyric. [ 6 ]
Club career [edit ]
early career [edit ]
Martins joined the local football club F.C. Ebedei, having been scouted by director Churchill Oliseh while playing on the streets of his hometown. After a year with the clubhouse, Serie C side A.C. Reggiana made a motivate for the player. After a three-month trial, Martins and mate Ebedei teammate Stephen Makinwa signed young person contracts with the clubhouse in 2000. His beginning season in Italy saw Martins break into the first team police squad, and belated in the year Serie A sides Perugia and Inter Milan made offers for the forward. [ 7 ]
Inter Milan [edit ]
Martins ( right ) with Inter Milan in 2005 Martins was signed by Inter Milan in 2001 for a €750,000 transmit fee, [ 8 ] and in his beginning season he scored 23 goals for the youth team, helping them to win the Campionato Nazionale Primavera in 2001–02 season. [ 9 ] His mannequin for the youth side led to his first-team league debut the follow temper, starting in a match against Parma on 22 December 2002 which was won by Inter 2–1. [ 10 ] Martins did n’t become a regular member of the beginning team police squad until the 2002–03 season. During this season he was given his first UEFA Champions League appearance by coach Héctor Cúper, entering as a utility against his future employers, Newcastle United, at St James ‘ Park. He scored his beginning Champions League goal in a match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen to secure Inter ‘s plaza in the quarter finals ; footage of his celebratory somersaults were subsequently used by UEFA to advertise the follow season ‘s competition. He scored again in the semi-final match against Inter ‘s arch-rivals Milan, but could n’t prevent the club losing out on aside goals to the competition ‘s eventual winners. [ 11 ] In the championship, he scored once in four appearances. [ 2 ] Martins signed a long-run condense with Inter Milan in 2005 which ran until 2010 and was worth around €2.5 million annually. [ 12 ] By scoring in the 3–1 succeed at Anderlecht in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League group stage, Martins become the first gear ever adolescent to score in three consecutive Champions League seasons. [ 13 ] He was besides supporter in team ‘s successful run in Coppa Italia, scoring six goals, including a hat-trick against Bologna, [ 14 ] as the tournament ended in conquest. [ 15 ] Martins amassed 22 goals in 45 matches across all competitions, setting a new personal well ; his good form for Inter earned him a spot in Nigeria ‘s 2006 Africa Cup of Nations squad. [ 16 ] Although he had some success with Inter, scoring 28 goals for the club in 88 league games equally well as 11 goals in european competitions, he was sold in August 2006. This was due to Inter bringing in two new strikers ; first gear argentine Hernán Crespo was brought in on loanword from Chelsea and then the Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović was bought by Inter from Juventus. [ 17 ]
newcastle United [edit ]
Martins warming up before a meet After Martins submitted a transfer request, [ 17 ] Premier League cabaret Newcastle United completed a share with Inter for the hitter on 24 August 2006 for €15 million. [ 18 ] Martins signed a five-year cover. He was paraded in front of the Geordie fans before their UEFA cup connect against FK Ventspils, and inherited the club ‘s cherished number 9 shirt, vacated after the retirement of the club-record goalscorer Alan Shearer in April. Martins made his Premier League debut on 27 August, in the 2–0 defeat to Aston Villa, in which he was stretchered off with a knee injury. It turned out that Martins suffered a severe dead leg and inner bleed. His everyday beginning few appearances for Newcastle caused coach Glenn Roeder to speak out in his defense. [ 19 ]
however, on 17 September, Martins scored his foremost finish for Newcastle. It was the second goal in a 2–0 victory over West Ham United at Upton Park, and from there his goalscoring form began to improve steadily. Reports in January 2007 suggested that Chelsea were considering making an extend for Martins ‘ services after his impressive form. These reports were later rubbished by Martins himself, [ 20 ] and Roeder stated that although he was interested in signing a Chelsea player, he would not allow Martins to leave Newcastle. [ 21 ] On 14 January, in a 2–3 aside win against Tottenham Hotspur, Martins ‘ 20-yard blastoff rocketed into the net. This affect was clocked by Sky Sports at a speed of 84 miles per hour ( 135 kilometers per hour ), making it unofficially the ninth hard film always recorded in football according to the Guardian web site. [ 22 ] This was his one-tenth finish for Newcastle. Martins ended his foremost season on Tyneside with 17 goals in 46 games .
Martins at a pre-season train camp with Newcastle in 2007 His second gear season was reasonably shuffle. With raw coach Sam Allardyce choose to play Michael Owen and Mark Viduka up front, Martins found himself being used as an impact substitute for the beginning half of the season. Despite this he managed to score systematically, and when Allardyce was sacked and Kevin Keegan was appointed, Martins found himself being used as part of a three pronged attack along with Owen and Viduka. Martins scored fewer goals in his second season with Newcastle, chiefly due to him nobelium longer being the focal point of all their attacks as he was in his first season with them, adenine well as his season being interrupted with the african Cup of Nations engagement with Nigeria in December. Martins scored six goals in 12 league games during the first half of the 2008–09 season before a tear hamstring ruled him out for several games. [ 23 ] It was confirmed on 7 January 2009, that Martins would undergo hernia operation in Germany the future Monday. He was operated on by celebrated specialist Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck. He did make it bet on in time for the stopping point two games of the season, scoring in a relegation six-pointer bowler hat against Middlesbrough. however, he could not stop Newcastle being relegated to the Championship. [ 24 ] He initially reiterated his desire to stay and help the golf club rejoinder to the Premier League for the 2009–10 temper, but he finally left for VfL Wolfsburg. His final game was in a preseason friendly against Leyton Orient, which Newcastle lost 6–1. During his three-year spell on Tyneside, Martins amassed 35 goals in all competitions from 104 games .
VfL Wolfsburg [edit ]
On 29 July 2009, Newcastle accepted a £9 million bid from Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg, the transfer was confirmed on 31 July with Martins signing a four-year compress. [ 25 ] For his debut, Martins came on as a second-half alternate against 1. FC Köln at the Rhein Energie Stadion, with his team deadlocked at 1–1. He helped in the buildup to the second goal and capped off his first appearance in the Bundesliga with a well-taken goal after dribbling by two onrushing defenders and then coolly finishing from six yards out, slotting the ball past the goalkeeper to the far post .
Rubin Kazan [edit ]
On 9 July 2010, Martins was sold for a reported €17 million to reigning russian Premier League champions Rubin Kazan. He signed a three-year compress and told BBC Sport : “ I am joining a team of champions and I hope to bring my best to the club to make them even greater. ” Martins ‘ agent, Nicola Walter, revealed that Rubin met all of the player ‘s requirements and that director Kurban Berdyev had a “ massive function ” for him to play, following the deviation of striker Aleksandr Bukharov. Martins was able to make his debut with Rubin after 1 August, when the transfer window was opened. On 9 May 2012, Rubin Kazan won the russian Cup giving Martins his inaugural trophy in Russia. [ 26 ] [ 27 ]
lend to Birmingham City [edit ]
Following the birth of his child, Martins requested a motion to England to be nearer to his family. [ 28 ] On 31 January 2011, he joined Premier League cabaret Birmingham City on lend until the end of the temper, [ 29 ] with the option of a £5 million permanent manage in the summer of 2011. [ 30 ] He made his debut, which had been delayed by the formalities of obtaining a working visa, in the starting football team against Stoke City on 12 February ; he played for 75 minutes as Birmingham won 1–0. [ 31 ] [ 32 ] He scored his foremost goal for the club, 17 minutes into the FA Cup fifth-round get the better of of Sheffield Wednesday, after a strong run. [ 33 ] Martins scored the winning finish in the 2011 Football League Cup Final as Birmingham beat arsenal 2–1 at Wembley Stadium, having been brought on as an 83rd-minute utility. With one minute remaining in normal time, there was a moment of confusion between Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny and defender Laurent Koscielny as they attempted to deal with a headed knock down from Birmingham ‘s Nikola Žigić. Martins passed the resulting loosen ball into the empty net from near the penalty spot. [ 34 ] Martins described it as “ the easiest goal I ‘ve ever scored in my career ”. [ 35 ] After two more Premier League appearances, he spent several weeks out with an injury finally diagnosed as a try fault of the left tibia. After surgery in late April, he faced a convalescence period estimated at three to four months. [ 36 ]
Levante [edit ]
On 13 September 2012, Martins moved to Levante on a complimentary transfer, signing a biennial shrink. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] He made his league debut on 23 September 2012, where he scored his first goal, and the winning goal, in a 2–1 base win against Real Sociedad. [ 39 ] Martins scored a brace for Levante in their 3–1 home victory over Granada on 28 October, sending his side into fourthly plaza in the La Liga standings. [ 40 ]
seattle Sounders FC [edit ]
Martins at Seattle Tacoma International Airport upon arrival to Seattle Sounders FC in 2013 On 11 March 2013, it was announced that Martins signed with MLS club Seattle Sounders FC as a Designated Player after the clubhouse paid a $ 4 million buyout article in Martins ‘ condense with Levante. The be active concluded weeks of speculation of a potential Martins move to Seattle. Levante had been hesitant to lose Martins mid-season, and had threatened Sounders FC with a tampering lawsuit. [ 41 ] On 15 March 2013, the club announced that the sign was official. [ 42 ] Martins scored his foremost finish for the clubhouse on 20 April 2013, performing his signature back-flip finish celebration. [ 43 ] On 24 October 2014, Martins signed a new three-year compress elongation with Seattle, about doubling his annual wage to more than $ 3 million. [ 44 ] The follow day, Martins provided an serve for Marco Pappa ‘s foremost goal as Seattle defeated the Galaxy 2–0 to win the Supporters ‘ Shield. [ 45 ] The help meant that Martins finished with 17 goals during the regular season, a club record, ampere well as notching 13 assists, a joint-club read held with Mauro Rosales. [ 44 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ]
Martins had a very successful 2014 temper with the Sounders, his second gear with the club, and was named as one of three MLS MVP finalists. [ 47 ] Martins was named to the MLS Best eleven and the Sounders won every plot in which he scored. [ 48 ] He besides won MLS Goal of the year for a loop goal he shot from an highly mean angle near the end line into the far gauze over Earthquakes keeper Jon Busch. [ 49 ]
Shanghai Shenhua [edit ]
On 18 February 2016, Martins was signed for chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua. [ 50 ] On 15 May 2016, he scored his first goal with Shanghai as a late utility in a 5–1 win over Guangzhou R & F. [ 51 ] Martins scored the only finish in the first leg of the 2017 Chinese FA Cup final and scored a spectacular goal in the second. Although their opponents, Shanghai SIPG, won the second gear leg 3–2, Shanghai Shenhua won the trophy on away goals. [ 52 ] On 31 March 2018, Martins scored his first hat-trick for Shenhua in a 4–2 dwelling succeed against Hebei China Fortune. [ 53 ] however, he suffered a partial rupture of tendon of quadriceps femoris at his right knee in the fifth group stage match of 2018 AFC Champions League against Kashima Antlers on 3 April 2018, which ruling him out for at least six months. [ 54 ] On 1 June 2018 it was announced that Martins had been waived from Shenhua. [ 55 ] He suffered a torn hamstring in May 2019, and in November 2019 said that he was seeking a new baseball club following his convalescence from injury. [ 56 ]
render to Shanghai Shenhua [edit ]
On 15 July 2020, it was announced that Martins returned to chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua. [ 57 ]
Wuhan Zall [edit ]
On 20 September 2020, after his Shanghai Shenhua contract was terminated, Martins joined taiwanese Super League club Wuhan Zall on a short-run deal until the end of the season. [ 58 ] [ 59 ]
International career [edit ]
Martins made his introduction for Nigeria in 2004 at the old age of 19 in the 2004 Unity Cup scoring the irregular finish, in the tri-nations Unity Cup tournament in London. [ 60 ] He was a contribution of the Nigerian team that finished third gear in the 2006 African Cup of Nations. Martins scored two goals in the competition, both coming against Senegal in the foremost round. His future for the national team has been placed in doubt on numerous occasions after classify incidents of controversy. In August 2006, the nigerian FA ( NFA ) web site had his date of parentage down as 1 May 1978, which would have made him 28 years of historic period preferably than 21. The NFA soon confirmed that it had been an administrative error and apologised for the confusion it had caused. however Martins threatened to quit playing for the national team after the fumble had initially put his motion to Newcastle in doubt. [ 61 ] On 6 February 2007, Martins failed to turn up for the 4–1 friendly defeat against Ghana, despite being ordered to play. He former explained his absence was due to the fact he had travelled to Lagos to visit his ill mother. [ 62 ] The nigerian caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen was angered with Martins and threatened to ban him from the home team. [ 63 ] On 14 February 2007, Martins apologised for missing the game but said he believed his mother ‘s health was more important. He besides said that he would be available to play for Nigeria in the future. [ 64 ] He made his recurrence to the national side on 24 March 2007, playing the full match against Uganda in an african Cup of Nations Qualifying match and won. Following the end of Nigeria ‘s 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, Nigeria faced Mexico in Ciudad Juárez for a friendly meet. Martins scored two goals in a 2–2 pull back. On 17 November 2007, Martins captained Nigeria for the first time, in a friendly match against Australia for his 19th appearance. On 12 November 2009 he scored a spectacular finish in the 83rd infinitesimal against Kenya in Nairobi, frankincense ensuring Nigeria ‘s qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the finals in South Africa, Martins played in equitable two games for a sum of 71 minutes, without scoring. [ 65 ] In the beginning group crippled, he came on as a 52nd-minute ersatz for Victor Obinna. [ 66 ] In the third game he was used as a 57th-minute alternate for Nwankwo Kanu. [ 67 ] Nigeria exited the tournament bottomland of Group B with alone one degree. [ 68 ]
vogue of fun [edit ]
Martins in legal action for Seattle in 2014 A fast, diminutive, and agile left-footed hitter, who is quick on the ball, Martins is chiefly known for his outstanding pace, mobility, and athleticism as a football player, a well as his striking baron, lastingness, and his elevation, despite his small stature ; he has besides stood out for his acrobatic finish celebrations. [ 69 ] [ 70 ] [ 71 ]
personal animation [edit ]
Martins received his U.S. green card in 2015 which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roll purposes. [ 72 ] He is marry to Ghanaian-Italian Abigail Barwuah, sister of Mario Balotelli. The couple have one child named Kendrick, born in 2013. [ 73 ] His elder son Kevin Maussi Martins ( born 31 January 2005 ) followed on his father ‘s footsteps and is presently part of Inter Milan ‘s young person frame-up, vitamin a good as being a youth external for Italy. [ 74 ]
career statistics [edit ]
club [edit ]
- As of 7 November 2020.[75]
International [edit ]
[ 76 ]
Nigeria
Year
Apps
Goals
2004
4
3
2005
5
6
2006
7
2
2007
5
2
2008
2
0
2009
3
2
2010
12
3
2011
0
0
2012
1
0
2013
1
0
2014
0
0
2015
2
0
Total
42
18
- Scores and results list Nigeria’s goal tally first.[76]
Honours [edit ]
club [edit ]
Inter Milan [ 77 ]
Newcastle United
Birmingham City [ 77 ]
Rubin Kazan [ 77 ]
Seattle Sounders FC [ 77 ]
Shanghai Shenhua [ 52 ]
International [edit ]
Nigeria
person [edit ]
References [edit ]
Read more: Ex on the Beach (British series 6)