Enoch Showunmi
Encyclopedia
Enoch Olusesan Showunmi (born 21 April 1982) a footballer who currently plays for Tranmere Rovers. He plays as a striker. Born in England, he played for Nigeria
at international level and won two caps
for the team.
, Showunmi entered the professional ranks relatively late, signing for his first professional club, Luton Town
, at the age of 21 from non-League
side Willesden Constantine, having first completed a Business degree at London South Bank University
.
. At the time of his signature Luton had a small squad due to the administrative receivership that they were under, which prevented them signing new players. Regular midfielder and captain Kevin Nicholls
received an injury that was to prevent him playing for three months, and Luton were able to use this injury to seek dispensation from the Football League
to sign Showunmi.
Showunmi's debut came against Plymouth Argyle
in September 2003, and his first goal arrived in a Football League Trophy
win against Rushden & Diamonds
in November. Late in the season he scored a hat-trick
in a home match against Brentford
. In total he scored seven goals in 28 appearances during the 2003–04 season, which culminated with his international debut for the Nigerian national football team
as a 71st minute substitute in a 3–0 victory against the Republic of Ireland
at The Valley on 30 May 2004.
He was also a substitute in Nigeria's following 2–0 victory against Jamaica
.
Luton's promotion season in 2004–05 saw Showunmi regularly used as a "super-sub" to score six goals in 38 matches, only seven of which he started, including a late winner against Bournemouth
after Luton had played most of the game with only 10 men.
In 2005–06 Showunmi often played in midfield
, with moderate success, due to injuries to many midfield players at the club.
On 3 October 2006, football agent Charles Collymore was charged with "touting" Showunmi to Millwall
, without the consent of Luton Town.
on a Bosman
transfer. He had a good start to the season, scoring in three consecutive games. However, he featured sporadically for the rest of the season due to injuries and good form from other City strikers. Despite not being a first team regular he finished the season as Bristol City's second top scorer, behind Phil Jevons
, with 13 goals in all competitions.
Showunmi faced strong competition for his first team place at the start of the 2007–08 season, especially after fellow strikers Lee Trundle
and Darren Byfield
signed for the club, and Steve Brooker
also being in contention after returning to fitness. On 23 January 2008 he started discussing personal terms with League One
team Leeds United
, after Leeds and Bristol agreed terms for a permanent deal to take Showunmi to Elland Road
. However, Showunmi snubbed a move to the Yorkshire
club and stayed at Ashton Gate
to fight for his place in the team.
However, on 31 January, he completed a move to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday
on an emergency loan until 1 March. This was later extended for another month, but at the start of April Showunmi decided to return to Ashton Gate in order to aid with the club's promotion push.
On 9 April, Showunmi was charged by the FA with "engaging the services of an individual, who was not a licensed agent or entitled to act in such a capacity, to represent him in contract negotiations with Luton Town in or around February 2004 and between November 2005 and January 2006", an allegation which incurred both Bristol City and Charles Collymore.
He was released by City at the end of the 2007–08 season along with fellow striker Darren Byfield
, midfielder Alex Russell
and defenders Martin Slocombe and Tamás Vaskó
.
was sacked on 21 December 2008, Showunmi did not feature in any more games that season after suffering a serious blood clot in his lung. Leeds managed to reach the playoff semi finals in Showunmi's absence.
After recovering from injury, the following season Showunmi fell out of favour under new manager Simon Grayson
. It wasn't until the start of the 2009/10 season that Showunmi played for Leeds again. Despite being used sparingly he managed to score his sixth and final goal for the club in a League Cup tie with Darlington. He was later released, having scored 5 goals in 7 starts for the Yorkshire side.
team Falkirk
signed Showunmi. He made his debut against Celtic F.C.
.
He scored his first goal in 18 matches with a stunning acrobatic volley against Aberdeen on 20 February 2010. It helped Falkirk win the match 3–1. He was released at the end of the season after Falkirk's relegation.
. He scored his first goal for Tranmere on 24 August 2010 against Swansea City in the League Cup
with a neat finish from a tight angle. He then scored his second goal for the club, his first for them in the Football League, four days later in 2–2 draw against Dagenham & Redbridge. At the end of his first season, Enoch received the Player of The Season Award, after finishing as the clubs top scorer
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
at international level and won two caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for the team.
Pre-football
Born in Kilburn, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Showunmi entered the professional ranks relatively late, signing for his first professional club, Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, at the age of 21 from non-League
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
side Willesden Constantine, having first completed a Business degree at London South Bank University
London South Bank University
London South Bank University is a university in south London. With over 25,000 students and 1,700 staff, it is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name...
.
Career
A tall and bustling striker who also possesses pace, Showunmi joined Luton in early September 2003 following a successful trial spell with the Hatters that saw him feature regularly during the 2003–04 pre-season against such teams as AFC WimbledonAFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
. At the time of his signature Luton had a small squad due to the administrative receivership that they were under, which prevented them signing new players. Regular midfielder and captain Kevin Nicholls
Kevin Nicholls
Kevin John Richard Nicholls is an English former footballer who played in midfield. He is currently a coach at Conference National side Rushden & Diamonds....
received an injury that was to prevent him playing for three months, and Luton were able to use this injury to seek dispensation from the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
to sign Showunmi.
Showunmi's debut came against Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in September 2003, and his first goal arrived in a Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
win against Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
in November. Late in the season he scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a home match against Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
. In total he scored seven goals in 28 appearances during the 2003–04 season, which culminated with his international debut for the Nigerian national football team
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
as a 71st minute substitute in a 3–0 victory against the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
at The Valley on 30 May 2004.
He was also a substitute in Nigeria's following 2–0 victory against Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
.
Luton's promotion season in 2004–05 saw Showunmi regularly used as a "super-sub" to score six goals in 38 matches, only seven of which he started, including a late winner against Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
after Luton had played most of the game with only 10 men.
In 2005–06 Showunmi often played in midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, with moderate success, due to injuries to many midfield players at the club.
On 3 October 2006, football agent Charles Collymore was charged with "touting" Showunmi to Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, without the consent of Luton Town.
Bristol City
Before the 2006–07 season, Showunmi moved to Bristol CityBristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
on a Bosman
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
transfer. He had a good start to the season, scoring in three consecutive games. However, he featured sporadically for the rest of the season due to injuries and good form from other City strikers. Despite not being a first team regular he finished the season as Bristol City's second top scorer, behind Phil Jevons
Phil Jevons
Phillip "Phil" Jevons is an English football player who currently plays for Football League Two side Morecambe. He is notably remembered for scoring a last minute 45 yard extra time winning goal for Grimsby Town against his home town club Liverpool in the third round of the League Cup in 2001...
, with 13 goals in all competitions.
Showunmi faced strong competition for his first team place at the start of the 2007–08 season, especially after fellow strikers Lee Trundle
Lee Trundle
Lee Christopher Trundle is an English footballer who currently plays for Neath.-Career:Trundle was a late entrant into professional and league football, playing for non-league teams Burscough, Stalybridge Celtic, Southport, Bamber Bridge and Chorley before joining Welsh Premier League club Rhyl in...
and Darren Byfield
Darren Byfield
Darren Asherton Byfield is an English-born professional footballer of Jamaican descent who played for Walsall. His predominant position is as a forward.-Career:...
signed for the club, and Steve Brooker
Steve Brooker
Stephen Michael "Steve" Brooker is an English football striker. In a twelve years professional career he has scored 86 goals in 294 games....
also being in contention after returning to fitness. On 23 January 2008 he started discussing personal terms with League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
team Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, after Leeds and Bristol agreed terms for a permanent deal to take Showunmi to Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
. However, Showunmi snubbed a move to the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
club and stayed at Ashton Gate
Ashton Gate
Ashton Gate Stadium is a stadium in Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol City F.C. Located in the south-west of the city, just south of the River Avon, it has an all-seated capacity of 21,497, with an effective capacity for football matches of around 19,500, with an average...
to fight for his place in the team.
However, on 31 January, he completed a move to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on an emergency loan until 1 March. This was later extended for another month, but at the start of April Showunmi decided to return to Ashton Gate in order to aid with the club's promotion push.
On 9 April, Showunmi was charged by the FA with "engaging the services of an individual, who was not a licensed agent or entitled to act in such a capacity, to represent him in contract negotiations with Luton Town in or around February 2004 and between November 2005 and January 2006", an allegation which incurred both Bristol City and Charles Collymore.
He was released by City at the end of the 2007–08 season along with fellow striker Darren Byfield
Darren Byfield
Darren Asherton Byfield is an English-born professional footballer of Jamaican descent who played for Walsall. His predominant position is as a forward.-Career:...
, midfielder Alex Russell
Alex Russell
Alexander John Russell is an English professional footballer currently plays for Conference National side Bath City. He plays as a central midfielder...
and defenders Martin Slocombe and Tamás Vaskó
Tamás Vaskó
Tamás Vaskó is a Hungarian footballer who currently plays as a centre back for Videoton FC and also for the Hungarian national team.-Career:Vaskó started to play football in smaller clubs and joined Vasas in 1998...
.
Leeds United
Showunmi then signed for Leeds United. He scored on his debut for the club in a league match against Scunthorpe United. After this successful start to his Leeds career most of his goals for the season came in cup games, scoring twice in the League Cup against Crystal Palace and Hartlepool and once in the Football League Trophy against Rotherham United. His second and final league goal for the club came in a 2–1 defeat at Tranmere Rovers on 6 December 2008. Showunmi's last appearance of the season came after featuring as a substitute in a 3–1 defeat to MK Dons the day before McAllister's departure, Manager Gary McAllisterGary McAllister
Gary McAllister MBE is a Scottish former professional footballer.McAllister played primarily as a midfielder, in a successful career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20...
was sacked on 21 December 2008, Showunmi did not feature in any more games that season after suffering a serious blood clot in his lung. Leeds managed to reach the playoff semi finals in Showunmi's absence.
After recovering from injury, the following season Showunmi fell out of favour under new manager Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....
. It wasn't until the start of the 2009/10 season that Showunmi played for Leeds again. Despite being used sparingly he managed to score his sixth and final goal for the club in a League Cup tie with Darlington. He was later released, having scored 5 goals in 7 starts for the Yorkshire side.
Falkirk
On 14 January 2010 Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
team Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
signed Showunmi. He made his debut against Celtic F.C.
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
.
He scored his first goal in 18 matches with a stunning acrobatic volley against Aberdeen on 20 February 2010. It helped Falkirk win the match 3–1. He was released at the end of the season after Falkirk's relegation.
Tranmere Rovers
On 27 July 2010 he signed for Tranmere RoversTranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. He scored his first goal for Tranmere on 24 August 2010 against Swansea City in the League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
with a neat finish from a tight angle. He then scored his second goal for the club, his first for them in the Football League, four days later in 2–2 draw against Dagenham & Redbridge. At the end of his first season, Enoch received the Player of The Season Award, after finishing as the clubs top scorer
Career statistics
| Season | Club | Loan | Division | League | FA Cup | League Cup | FL Trophy Football League Trophy The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top... |
Play-offs | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| Leeds United | League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... > 3 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – ! 3 !! 1 |
|||||
| League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... > 8 |
2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 ! 16 !! 5 |
||||||
| 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 6 | ||||
| Sheffield Wednesday | Loan | Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... > 10 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – ! 10 !! 0 |
||||
| Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... |
Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... > 17 |
3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 ! 19 !! 3 |
|||||
| League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... > 33 |
10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | – | – ! 42 !! 15 |
||||||
| 50 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 18 | ||||
| Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... > 41 |
1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – ! 43 !! 1 |
|||||
| League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... > 35 |
6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – ! 40 !! 7 |
||||||
| Division Two Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... > 26 |
7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | – ! 31 !! 8 |
||||||
| 102 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 111 | 15 | ||||
| 172 | 29 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 204 | 40 | ||||