Ebere Paul Onuachu, born 28 May 1994, is Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker for the Super Eagles and Trapzonspor in the Turkish Süper Lig on loan from Southampton.
In this article, we will delve into the player's biography and unfold some exciting information about this towering striker.
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Paul Onuachu biography
Onuachu was born to Nigerian parents on May 28, 1994 in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, where he started his professional football dream.
Although he is a right-footer, Onuachu is good with both feet and has recorded goals on both.
With a height of 6ft 7 inches, he is good aerially, making him a threat at set-pieces for opposition teams.
He started his professional career in Nigeria’s 3rd division with FC Ebedei in Ogun State.
His brief stint with the club as a youth player caught the eyes of both national and international scouts.
In 2012, he got a scholarship through the local club, an affiliate club for a Danish club.
The scholarship secured Onuachu a move to the Danish club, FC Midtjylland, where he began a new path in Europe as a forward.
Paul Onuachu at Midtjylland
After moving to FC Midtjylland, Onuachu played his debut match in 2012 in a cup fixture as a youth player, and in December of the same year, he debuted in a league match.
He extended his contract with the club in June 2013 after signing a new 3-year contract.
The Nigerian-born striker later extended his contract by another three years in 2015.
After renewing his contract with his club, he was sent on loan to Jutland club, Vejle BK, where he played 13 matches and recorded five goals in the 13 games.That wasn't a bad record for the Nigerian.
Onuachu later returned to FC Midtjylland for the 2015/16 season, where he continued his goal-scoring spree until August 2019.
During his seven years spell with FC Midtjylland, he played a total of 181 games and scored 74 goals; that's an average of 0.4 goals per game in seven years.
His attacking style has been criticized as an old-fashioned style of play. He is known to exert dominance in the opponent's 18-yard box.
Paul won 2 league titles and a cup during his time at Midtjylland.
His success with FC Midtjylland made him a top target in the 2015 summer transfer window.
Paul Onuachu at Genk
His agent, Boutique Transfers, secured a move for Onuachu to the Belgian professional football league giants, Genk, for 6 million Euros in August 2019. His contract will see him play for the club until June 30, 2024.
In his debut season with the Belgian giant, Onuachu played 29 matches and recorded 10 goals for the club.
The Nigerian-born footballer became a sensation in the Jupiler Pro League with a fair start to his career in his new club.
Onuachu recorded the number of goals in his debut season in just 12 games in the following season. He went on to win the Jupiler Pro League with Genk in 2021 and received some personal awards.
Paul Onuachu at Southampton
On 1 February 2023, Onuachu swapped title-chasing Genk for relegation-threatened Southampton in the Premier League on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
On 4 February 2023, he made his debut for Southampton in a 3-0 defeat against Brentford, replacing Mohamed Elyounoussi at half-time.
Loan to Trapzonspor
On 11 September 2023, Onuachu joined Turkish side Trapzonspor on a season-long loan. He scored on his debut in a 3-0 victory against Besiktas on 17 September.
At the time of this update, Onuachu has scored 8 goals in 14 appearances across all competitions for Trapzonspor.
Paul Onuachu net worth and salary
Onuachu has experienced significant growth since his loan move to Trapzonspor.
Onuachu earns €55,769 per week and €2,900,000 per year in Trapzonspor.
His net worth has grown since he left Midtjlylland and he now has an estimated net worth of $5 million as of 2024.
Paul Onuachu relationship/wife
Onuachu is not married at the moment and has a relationship with his Ghananian girlfriend whom he took along with him and some of his Super Eagles colleagues to attend Peter Olayinka’s wedding.
Nothing has been said about his past relationship, whether he has always been single or not.
His records show that he has no children with any lady both at home and abroad. Onuachu still has a lot to offer to the football world and in due time he will get married and have kids.
Paul Onuachu medals and trophies
- The 29-year-old Nigerian was awarded the top scorer of the Jupiler professional league in Belgium after scoring 33 goals in the 2020/21 season.
- Belgian Professional League Player of the Year in 2020/21 season
- Belgian Golden Shoe winner: 2021
- Danish Superliga winner: 2014/15, 2017/18
- Danish Cup winner: 2018/19
- Belgian Cup winner: 2020/21
- AFCON bronze medal for Nigeria: AFCON 2019
Paul Onuachu international career
Although his career as a footballer started in his country, Nigeria, Onuachu did not feature in his country’s national team until 2015.
His performance with his Danish club caught the attention of Nigeria’s U23 team coach.
Soon after that, he received his call-up to national duty and was featured in his first national team match in preparation for AFCON 2019.
His debut match on a senior team with his country was against Seychelles.
Although he had no luck on goal in the 2019 AFCON qualifier match against Seychelles, the national team coach Gernot Rohr later featured him in a friendly match against Egypt.
He recorded his first international goal in the friendly match against Egypt.
Onuachu set a new record for his national team against Egypt in the AFCON 2019 qualifier match.
He scored a spectacular volley within the first few seconds of the match, which became the only goal in the match.
The goal entered a new record as the fastest goal scored by a Nigerian in an international game.
The goal and his contribution to Nigeria’s qualification for the AFCON 2019 in Egypt earned the young man a place on Coach Gernot Rohr’s list.
He played in Nigeria's 1-0 win over Burundi in the AFCON tournament and went on to win a bronze medal in the competition, coming third place after defeating Tunisia.
On 12 January 2024, Onuachu was called up to the Nigerian squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, replacing injured Umar Sadiq.
He will be representing the Super Eagles for the second time in the AFCON tournament.
This article was most recently revised and updated 11 months ago
