| Armstrong Oko-Flex | |
| Fullname: | Armstrong Inya Echezolachuku Oko-Flex[1] |
| Birth Date: | 2 March 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Dublin, Ireland |
| Position: | Winger |
| Currentclub: | FC Zürich |
| Clubnumber: | 22 |
| Youthclubs1: | Tolka Rovers |
| Youthyears1: | 2007–2009 |
| Youthclubs2: | St Kevin's Boys |
| Youthyears2: | 2009–2013 |
| Youthclubs3: | Arsenal |
| Youthyears3: | 2013–2018 |
| Youthclubs4: | Celtic |
| Youthyears4: | 2018–2021 |
| Years1: | 2021 |
| Clubs1: | Celtic |
| Caps1: | 2 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs2: | West Ham United |
| Caps2: | 0 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs3: | → Swansea City (loan) |
| Caps3: | 13 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2023– |
| Clubs4: | FC Zürich |
| Caps4: | 20 |
| Goals4: | 2 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2017 |
| Nationalteam1: | Republic of Ireland U16 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2018 |
| Nationalteam2: | England U16 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 5 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 1 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2019 |
| Nationalteam3: | Republic of Ireland U19 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam4: | Republic of Ireland U21 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 5 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 4 |
| Club-Update: | 23:33, 12 August 2024 |
| Ntupdate: | 17:03, 11 June 2024 (UTC) |
Armstrong Inya Echezolachuku Oko-Flex (born 2 March 2002) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Swiss Super League club FC Zürich and the Republic of Ireland under-21 national team.
Oko-Flex was born in Dublin and started out playing with a local academy, Tolka Rovers, then St Kevin's Boys before being spotted by Arsenal scout Liam Brady, who had also come through the St Kevin's, with Oko-Flex then signing for the London club.[2] He joined Celtic on a three-year deal from Arsenal in September 2018.[3] He made his first team debut for the club as a substitute against Hibernian in January 2021.[4]
On 25 June 2021, Oko-Flex joined West Ham United on a two-year contract with an option for a third year.[5]
On 16 August 2021, Oko-Flex scored a hat-trick in his Premier League 2 debut against his boyhood club Arsenal in a 6–1 home win.[6] On 15 December 2021, Oko-Flex was an unused substitute for West Ham's Premier League fixture at the Emirates Stadium, a match won 2–0 by Arsenal.[7] This was the first time he had made a first-team squad for the club. Oko-Flex made his debut for West Ham United on 25 August 2022 coming on as an 82nd minute substitute for Manuel Lanzini in a 3–0 away win against Viborg in the second leg of a play-off round game in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League.[8] [9] He left the club at the end of the 2022-23 season. He made one first team appearance, in the UEFA Europa Conference League Play-Off round and featured on 35 occasions for the U21 side scoring 14 goals.[10]
On 30 August 2022, Oko-Flex joined Swansea City on loan for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.[11] He was recalled from his loan in January 2023.[12]
On 14 August 2023, he signed a two-year contract with Swiss Super League club FC Zürich.[13] [14] On 17 September 2023, he scored on his debut for the club, in a 3–0 win away to FC Tuggen in the Swiss Cup.[15]
Oko-Flex was called up to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for the first time in November 2021, for their 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Italy & Sweden.[16] [17] Oko-Flex made his Republic of Ireland U21 debut on 16 June 2023, in a 2–2 draw with Ukraine U21 in a friendly played in Bad Blumau, Austria.[18] On 13 October 2023, he scored both of his sides goals in a 2–1 win away to Latvia U21.[19]
| Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Celtic | 2019–20 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2020–21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||
| West Ham United U21 | 2021–22 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| West Ham United | 2022–23 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Swansea City (loan) | 2022–23 | Championship | 13 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| FC Zürich | 2023–24 | Swiss Super League | 17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 3 | |||
| 2024–25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 20 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 0 | 26 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 35 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 46 | 5 | |||
Oko-Flex is the son of the Nigerian-Irish community organiser Reginald Oko-Flex Inya.[21]