Super Eagles of Nigeria star, Alex Iwobi is making significant strides in the English Premier League (EPL), recently gaining recognition as one of the few African players to have reached the milestone of 50 appearances for three different clubs in the league.
On Sunday, Alex Iwobi played for 63 minutes in Fulham’s exciting 2-2 draw against Ipswich, marking his 50th EPL appearance for the Cottagers.
British sports analytics company Opta highlighted Iwobi’s achievement before the game, celebrating his journey in the league.
This accomplishment places him among an elite group of African players, joining the ranks of Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, Portsmouth, West Brom), Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth), Senegal’s El Hadji Diouf (Bolton, Blackburn, Liverpool), and Mohamed Diamé (Wigan, West Ham, Newcastle).
The 28-year-old Iwobi has accumulated 273 Premier League appearances over ten seasons, contributing 27 goals and 32 assists.
In comparison to the previously mentioned players, his goal contributions are impressive, with only Aiyegbeni and Kanu having better totals—Aiyegbeni with 95 goals and 26 assists in 252 matches, and Kanu with 54 goals and 29 assists in the same number of games as Iwobi.
Iwobi is steadily climbing the ranks in terms of all-time top-scoring Nigerian players in the EPL, currently tied with Victor Anichebe for eighth place with 27 goals, just one goal shy of Obafemi Martins’ tally of 28.
After being promoted to Arsenal’s first team in the 2015/2016 season, he made 93 appearances over four seasons, netting 11 goals before moving to Everton for the 2019/2020 season, where he made 123 appearances and scored six goals.
Now in his second season at Fulham, Iwobi has already recorded 10 goals in 50 appearances, currently ranking as the club’s second-highest goal scorer in the league, trailing only Raul Jimenez, who has eight goals in 20 matches. Notably, Iwobi has also made three assists this season, surpassed only by Antonee Robinson and Adama Traore at Fulham.
Making his Premier League debut on October 31, 2015, in a 3-0 victory against Swansea City, Iwobi quickly showcased his potential by scoring two goals in his first two league starts. Throughout his career, he has won notable trophies, including the FA Cup in 2016/2017 and the FA Community Shield in 2015 and 2017 with Arsenal.
This season, Iwobi is enjoying his best form yet, already matching his goal tally from the previous season with five goals and three assists in 20 matches.
Having initially represented England at youth levels, he switched his allegiance to Nigeria and made his senior international debut in October 2015. Since then, he has represented Nigeria in the 2018 World Cup and participated in three AFCON tournaments, earning a bronze medal in 2019 and a silver medal in 2023.