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Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Ayoyinka T. M. Saka[3] (born 5 September 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger, left-back or midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team.

Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka.jpg
Saka playing for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full nameBukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Saka
Date of birth (2001-09-05) 5 September 2001 (age 22)
Place of birthEaling, England
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Playing positionRight winger[2]
Club information
Current team
Arsenal
Number7
Youth career
Watford
2008–2018Arsenal
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018–Arsenal144(35)
National team‡
2016–2017England U166(1)
2017–2018England U179(1)
2018England U185(1)
2018–2019England U1910(4)
2020England U211(0)
2020–England30(11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:01, 28 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:33, 12 September 2023 (UTC)

Early life

Saka was born in Ealing, Greater London to Nigerian parents,[4] and went to the Edward Betham Church of England Primary School[5] before Greenford High School,[6] where he gained high grades in his GCSEs.[7] Prior to joining Arsenal, Saka played youth football for local club Greenford Celtic.[8] His parents moved to London from Nigeria as migrants.[9]

His name "Bukayo" comes from the Yoruba language spoken in southern Nigeria, meaning "adds to happiness".[10]

Club career

Saka had played for the youth teams of Watford.[11] He joined Arsenal's Hale End academy[12] at the age of seven.[13] Once he turned 17 years old, Saka was given a contract by Arsenal and moved up to the under-23 side.[12]

On 29 November 2018, Saka made his first senior appearance for Arsenal in their Europa League match against Vorskla Poltava.[14]

2019–20: Breakthrough and FA Cup win

Saka scored his first senior goal on 19 September, against German side Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League. He also finished the match with two assists in a 3–0 win.[15] Saka was rewarded for his efforts in Germany with his first Premier League start, in a 3–2 home win over Aston Villa.

On 1 July 2020, Saka signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.[16]

2020–21: Arsenal Player of the Season

On 15 April, Saka scored a goal and helped Arsenal to a 4–0 victory over Slavia Prague in the quarter final of the Europa League. Because of this, he was named as the Europa League Player of the Week.[17][18]

International career

Saka represented England at under-16, under-17,[19] under-18,[20] under-19 and under-21 level.[21]

On 1 October, Saka was called up to the England senior squad for the first time,[22] and made his international debut as one of the starters in a 3–0 victory over Wales.[23]

On 1 June 2021, he was named in the 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020. On 2 June 2021, in a friendly against Austria, Saka scored his first senior international goal, the only goal in a 1–0 win.[24] He started in England's third Euro 2020 group stage match on 22 June 2021 against the Czech Republic, and was named the man of the match.[25] On 11 July 2021, in the tournament final against Italy, Saka was brought on as a substitute for Kieran Trippier. Following full time and extra time, Saka was chosen to take the team's fifth penalty during the following shoot-out, his first penalty kick at senior level.[26] Saka's shot was saved by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and, as a result, Italy won the shoot-out and the tournament.[27] Saka faced racist abuse online after missing the penalty.[28][29]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 28 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Arsenal U21 2018–19[30] — — — — — 4[a] 1 4 1
Arsenal 2018–19[31] Premier League 1 0 1 0 0 0 2[b] 0 — 4 0
2019–20[32] Premier League 26 1 4 1 2 0 6[b] 2 — 38 4
2020–21[33] Premier League 32 5 2 0 2 0 9[b] 2 1[c] 0 46 7
2021–22[34] Premier League 38 11 1 0 4 1 — — 43 12
2022–23[35] Premier League 38 14 2 0 0 0 8[b] 1 — 48 15
2023–24[36] Premier League 9 4 0 0 0 0 3[d] 1 1[c] 0 13 5
Total 144 35 10 1 8 1 28 6 2 0 192 43
Career total 144 35 10 1 8 1 28 6 6 1 196 44
  1. ↑ Appearances in EFL Trophy
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Appearance in FA Community Shield
  4. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 12 September 2023[37]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
England 2020 4 0
2021 10 4
2022 10 3
2023 6 4
Total 30 11
As of match played 12 September 2023
England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Saka goal[37]
List of international goals scored by Bukayo Saka
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 2 June 2021 Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, England 5   Austria 1–0 1–0 Friendly [38]
2 5 September 2021 Wembley Stadium, London, England 11   Andorra 4–0 4–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification [39]
3 9 October 2021 Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella, Andorra 12   Andorra 2–0 5–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification [40]
4 15 November 2021 Stadio Olimpico di San Marino, Serravalle, San Marino 14   San Marino 10–0 10–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification [41]
5 21 November 2022 Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar 21   Iran 2–0 6–2 2022 FIFA World Cup [42]
6 4–0
7 4 December 2022 Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar 23   Senegal 3–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup [43]
8 26 March 2023 Wembley Stadium, London, England 26   Ukraine 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying [44]
9 19 June 2023 Old Trafford, Manchester, England 28   FYR Macedonia 2–0 7–0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying [45]
10 4–0
11 5–0

Honours

Arsenal

England

Individual

Bukayo Saka Media

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Bukayo Saka: Overview". Premier League. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. ↑ Dowdeswell, Andrew (9 July 2020). Arsenal: Where is Bukayo Saka's best position?. Fansided. https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/09/arsenal-bukayo-sakas-best-position/. Retrieved 8 June 2021. 
  3. ↑ "Bukayo Saka". England Football Online. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  4. ↑ Oludare, Shina (8 July 2020). "Saka: Ikpeba wants Arsenal star invited to Super Eagles". Goal.com. Perform Group. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "Issue 33 – 17th June 2019.pdf" (PDF).
  6. ↑ Watts, Charles; Clementine, Katherine (13 December 2018). "Arsenal FC's Bukayo Saka: The young Ealing-born player making his senior debut". MyLondon. Reach. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Ellery, Ben. "England star Bukayo Saka was a real role model, says PE teacher" (in en). The Times. ISSN 0140-0460 . https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/england-star-bukayo-saka-was-a-real-role-model-says-pe-teacher-fchh85nlq. Retrieved 2021-07-26. 
  8. ↑ "'I'm crying writing this': Final good luck messages for England's stars - by those who know them best". The Telegraph. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "10 things you may not know about Bukayo Saka – Arsenal's new number 7". GiveMeSport. 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  10. ↑ Hendrix, Hale (2019-10-05). "Bukayo Saka Childhood Story Plus Untold Biography Facts". LifeBogger. Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  11. ↑ Berrill, Lewis (9 July 2021). "Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho's time at Watford FC". Watford Observer. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Wheatley, Chris (20 November 2018). "Meet Bukayo Saka: The latest Arsenal academy star making a name for himself". Goal.com. Perform Group. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  13. ↑ Why Saka could be a future Arsenal captain. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56726954. Retrieved 2021-04-15. 
  14. ↑ "Vorskla vs Arsenal". Soccerway.
  15. ↑ "Arsenal beat Eintracht in opener" – via www.bbc.com.
  16. ↑ "Bukayo Saka signs new long-term contract". Arsenal F.C. 1 July 2020.
  17. ↑ Dean, Sam; Zeqiri, Daniel (2021-04-15). Impressive Arsenal tear Slavia Prague apart to set up Unai Emery reunion. ISSN 0307-1235 . https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/04/15/slavia-prague-vs-arsenal-europa-league-quarter-final-live-score/. Retrieved 2021-04-16. 
  18. ↑ "Saka bags Europa League award after Slavia Prague display". Yardbarker. 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  19. ↑ "Bukayo Saka at UEFA U17". UEFA. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  20. ↑ "England U18s beat hosts France to seal Limoges title with three wins from three games". The Football Association. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  21. ↑ "Bukayo Saka at UEFA U19". UEFA. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  22. ↑ England squad: Dominic Calvert-Lewin called up but Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden left out. 1 October 2020. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54372190. Retrieved 2 October 2020. 
  23. ↑ McNulty, Phil (8 October 2020). England 3–0 Wales. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54366319. Retrieved 10 October 2020. 
  24. ↑ McNulty, Phil (2 June 2021). "England 1-0 Austria: Bukayo Saka seals win with first international goal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "Euro 2020 - 'More to come from us' - Gareth Southgate praises England and 'fabulous' Bukayo Saka". Eurosport. 22 June 2021.
  26. ↑ Wallace, Sam (2021-07-12). "Bukayo Saka is a teenager who had never taken a penalty - so why was he asked to do it now?" (in en-GB). The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235 . https://www.telegraph.co.uk/euro-2021/2021/07/11/bukayo-saka-teenager-had-never-taken-penalty-asked-do-now/. Retrieved 2021-07-12. 
  27. ↑ "England lose shootout in Euro 2020 final" (in en-GB). BBC Sport. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51198762. Retrieved 2021-07-11. 
  28. ↑ "England 'disgusted' by racism aimed at players". ESPN.com. 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  29. ↑ "PM & FA condemn racist abuse of players" (in en-GB). BBC Sport. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57800431. Retrieved 2021-07-12. 
  30. ↑ "B. Saka: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  31. ↑ "Games played by Bukayo Saka in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  32. ↑ "Games played by Bukayo Saka in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  33. ↑ "Games played by Bukayo Saka in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  34. ↑ "Games played by Bukayo Saka in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Bukayo Saka in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Bukayo Saka in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Bukayo Saka: Internationals". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  38. ↑ "England vs. Austria 1–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  39. ↑ "England vs. Andorra 4–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  40. ↑ "Andorra vs. England 0–5: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  41. ↑ "San Marino vs. England 0–10: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  42. ↑ "England vs. Iran 6–2: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  43. ↑ "England vs. Senegal 3–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  44. ↑ "England vs. Ukraine 2–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  45. ↑ "England vs. North Macedonia 7–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  46. ↑ McNulty, Phil (1 August 2020). Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53546100. Retrieved 1 August 2020. 
  47. ↑ Sanders, Emma (29 August 2020). Arsenal 1–1 Liverpool. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53871874. Retrieved 30 August 2020. 
  48. ↑ Rose, Gary (6 August 2023). Arsenal 1–1 Manchester City. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66352143. Retrieved 27 August 2023. 
  49. ↑ Bevan, Chris (29 May 2019). Chelsea 4–1 Arsenal. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48368406. Retrieved 29 May 2019. 
  50. ↑ McNulty, Phil (11 July 2021). England lose shootout in Euro 2020 final. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51198762. Retrieved 11 July 2021. 
  51. ↑ Bukayo Saka wins England men's POTY award for 2022. The Football Association. 23 September 2022. https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2022/Sep/23/bukayo-saka-named-england-mens-senior-poty-for-2022-20222309. Retrieved 23 September 2022. 
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Erling Haaland: Manchester City forward wins PFA men's Player of the Year award. BBC Sport. 29 August 2023. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66650723. Retrieved 29 August 2023. 
  53. ↑ "Arsenal Player of the Season: In first place..." Arsenal F.C. 4 June 2021. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  54. ↑ Arsenal Player of the Season: In first place.... Arsenal F.C.. 8 June 2022. https://www.arsenal.com/news/arsenal-player-season-first-place-0. Retrieved 8 June 2022. 
  55. ↑ "IFFHS MEN'S YOUTH (U20) WORLD TEAM OF THE YEAR 2021". International Federation of Football History & Statistics. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  56. ↑ "Quartet honoured at London Football Awards". Arsenal F.C. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.

Other websites

  • Profile at the Arsenal F.C. website
  • Profile at the Football Association website
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