Frank Onyeka: Nigeria’s silent general

The Super Eagles currently possess one of the best defensive midfielders in the world in Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi.

But Ndidi is not the only quality player the three-time African champions have in that role as there is one other guy called Frank Onyeka.

Career

Onyeka was born on January 1st 1998, in Lagos and started his career with FC FC Ebedei- A local club based in Ijebu-Ode Ogun State.  He left Ebedei in 2016 to sign for Midtjylland, playing for the club’s U-19 team.

However, after just a year with the youth team, he was promoted to the club’s first team.

In his first full season at the club, he made just six appearances in the Danish top-flight. The following season (2018/2019), he featured in twice the games he played in his first season.

He also made his Champions League debut in a qualifier against FC Astana, while he also featured three times in the Europa League qualifiers.

During his time in Denmark, he was regarded as one of the best in his position. He made 123 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 17 goals and registering ten assists.

While Onyeka can play as a defensive midfielder, he can also function as a central midfielder, which shows his versatility on the ball.

The 24-year-old left Midtjyalland last summer after four years at the club to join Brentford. His time at the Brentford Community Stadium has not really been impressive, but there is no need to worry as it is just his first season in the Premier League.

He has made 18 league appearances for The Bees this season but was denied his first goal in the match against Newcastle.

International Career

Onyeka made his Super Eagles debut in a friendly match against Algeria in October 2020. Since then, he has gone on to win three more caps, including one at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.